Double RKO: Long Lost Destiny
by SuspiciousInitials
Summary: I knew walking into the arena that night that something special and exciting was about to happen. What an understatement that would become. This is the story of me and my brother climbing to the top of the Raw roster. Starts approx. April 2002
1. Lost and Found

_After reading all the great fics here, I decided to write my own. This is my first story. Hope you enjoy it. I don't own anyone besides my original character._

* * *

Randy Orton stood behind the SmackDown! entrance, waiting for his music to hit. This would be his debut match on WWE programming, going up against Hardcore Holly, and Randy knew that Hardcore loathed rookies. Randy's heart was beating rapidly; the idea of getting his ass handed to him in front of thousands of people in the arena and millions watching at home made him anxious. Even though his dream was about to be fulfilled, there was something missing in his heart … something that hasn't been there for sixteen years. Before stepping out, he looked up towards the sky and thought to himself, with a tear in his eye … "This is for you. Wherever you are." 

Matthew Pryce stood in the front row, staring at the ticket stubs he won in a radio contest. He hadn't watched the WWE in a year. He had lost interest after starting high school, but had become a passionate fan again, watching Monday Night Raw and SmackDown! every week and buying all the pay-per-views he could. Because classes were getting close to ending, Matthew picked up the old habit, and turned on the television on Monday and Thursday nights again. While listening to the radio while jumping on his trampoline outside, Matthew found out about a contest to give away a couple of tickets to the SmackDown! taping happening in town that week.

"Come on … come on … pick up, pick up, pick up!"

It kept returning a busy signal. Matthew's heart kept sinking, but he decided to hit the redial button one more time. To his amazement, it started to ring.

_"That one last try paid off"_, Matthew thought to himself. The sound of the SmackDown! theme song made him jump, and Matthew smiled. Instead of sitting on the couch at home, he was sitting right by the ring.

Randy strutted down the aisle to the ring, looking at Hardcore Holly the whole time. He didn't realize someone in the crowd looking directly at him with his mouth wide open. Matthew took one look at him and felt like he had seen him before. Randy was impressive in his opening bout, so Matthew thought. Hardcore and Randy went back and forth, momentum shifting several times in the match. Even though Matthew had never heard of Randy, he cheered for him like he did for Stone Cold Steve Austin back in the day. Seizing an opportunity, Randy quickly used his finisher and picked up his first win. Although Matthew enjoyed the rest of the night, he sat there dumbfounded.

_"…that guy looks just like me."_

Something clicked during the main event of the night.

_"I am going to meet Randy Orton."_

Matthew decided to leave ringside and search for the autograph table. After making his way through the crowd, he entered the outside halls and frantically looked around for any sort of table. He started to jog around, forgetting to look in front of himself, when he smacked into someone carrying a duffel bag. Matthew hastily muttered an apology, but froze in place after looking at the man's face.

Randy was walking out of the locker room towards his car. His match with Hardcore Holly left him wanting to get back to his hotel room and fall face first into his bed. Randy stole a quick look at his watch, not paying attention to the blur coming towards him. The collision caused Randy to drop his duffel bag and stumble back a bit.

"Watch where the hell you're going!"

"Oh jeez … I'm sorry … I wasn't watchi…"

Matthew and Randy locked eyes. They stared at each other for what seemed like an hour. Matthew got the first chance to look over Randy more closely, while Randy was in awe on how this he and this kid looked so much alike.

_"He can't be more than 16 or 17 years old……"_

Matthew stumbled around to find the right words. "Could … Randy … I mean, Mr. Orton …"

"Who … who are you?"

"My … my name … is …"

Randy took a deep breath and decided to take a shot in the dark. "… Matthew?"

Matthew's eyes widened and his jaw dropped to the ground. "... how do you know?"

"How old are you?"

Matthew had a puzzled look on his face. _"What the hell is going on?_ … Seventeen."

Randy cracked a big smile, and he started to breathe again. "Matthew, I don't expect you to believe this. Hell, you could downright laugh if you want." He pulled out his wallet from one of the pockets in his bag, thumbed through it for a picture, and showed it to Matthew.

Matthew looked down at a picture of a young Randy Orton, smiling and hugging who seemed to be his baby brother. The baby couldn't have been more than a year old.

"That's ... that's me. "

* * *

_I know it was short, but let me know how good … or bad ... it is._


	2. Confrontation

_Well, that one review got me all happy. Thank you so much for it. This one was hard for me to write, but I think I pulled it off. I hope you enjoy. Again, Matthew is the only character I own.  
_

* * *

Matthew couldn't take his eyes off the picture in front of him. 

"Wait, wait, wait. I am the brother of a WWE Superstar? The parents that I've known for seventeen years, the parents who've taken care of me all this time, the parents that I've loved ... aren't my parents at all?"

"I've been looking forward to this moment for years, bro. When we lost you, mom and pop went crazy, but I cried for weeks straight. When you were born, I couldn't contain myself. I had a kid brother that would look up to me. One that I could protect when things went bad. When I lost you ... a part of me had been ripped right out of me. Even through high school, I daydreamed of finding you. Nearly every time I ended up with tears in my eyes or my fist through the wall."

"Lost me?"

Randy took a deep breath. It pained him to even think of what happened to Matthew.

"You were a year old. Your first birthday couldn't have been two or three weeks before. Pop was on a short vacation, and he decided to take us camping for a few days. We set up the tents, got a fire started, toasted hot dogs, marshmallows, the usual stuff you do when you camp. Mom let you taste a marshmallow, you were crazy for them."

_"I love marshmallows"_, Matthew thought to himself.

"Night came, Dad rolled out the sleeping bags in the tents. I shacked up with Dad and Mom slept with you in the tent next to us. We went to sleep, looking forward to fishing the next day."

Randy paused for a moment.

Matthew cocked his head. "What happened?"

"Mom was screaming. She woke up and you weren't there. The camp was ransacked, Dad's wallet was gone, Mom's purse was gone ... You were gone."

Matthew could see a tear rolling down Randy's cheek. Through a couple of sobs, Randy continued.

"Dad took the rest of the day looking for you. I stayed with Mom in the truck, the doors locked. We sat there and cried. The only thing I could look at was the picture Mom gave me of me hugging you."

"This same one?", Matthew asked.

Randy nodded. "Dad called the police after he came back, and it felt like the whole state was looking for you. A month passed. I wasn't paying attention in school. Mom was depressed. Dad took a break to try to cheer up Mom, but he was just as depressed as she was."

Randy started crying now. A tear rolled down Matthew's cheek as well, and Matthew embraced Randy. The two gave each other a big bear hug, Matthew slightly cutting Randy's breath off.

"Damn, kid, you've got some arms on ya."

"Well, I do have the Orton genes." Matthew playfully punched Randy in the arm.

**"ORTON!"** Matthew and Randy both jumped at the loud scream. Hardcore Holly walked out from behind a door and laughed. He gave a strange look at Matthew and held out his hand to Randy. "Good match, rookie." Randy smiled and shook Holly's hand.

"Who's the kid?"

"Um ...", Randy hesitated. "Bob, this is my kid brother, Matthew."

Holly looked confused. "You have a brother?" Matthew chuckled. "I said the same thing." Holly looked even more confused.

Randy broke the silence. "Long story, Bob. We ran into each other today."

"Quite literally", Matthew added. Holly shook his head and left the area. "Jeez, what a hardhead."

"Tell me about it". Randy rubbed his sore back.

Stone Cold Steve Austin's music started to play, and Randy was looking around for him. Matthew, however, reached into his pocket and answered his cell phone. "I've got to go. Mom ... well ... she's wondering where I am."

Randy's eyes widened. "Wait. Why don't you come with me? You could be my manager out there. Two Ortons for the price of one."

Matthew's heart raced. To be part of the WWE was one of his lifelong dreams, but he never thought it could actually come true. "Randy, I would give anything to do that ... but I have some business to take care of first."

"What do you mean?"

"My parents have some explaining to do."

Matthew started trudging toward the exit, but Randy stopped him.

"Here, take my cell phone number. Call me when you're ready."

Matthew nodded and continued on, balling his fists in anger.

* * *

Matthew sat quietly in the car ride back home. He would occasionally glance at his mother driving, but he didn't say anything. Matthew wanted both his parents in the same room before he blew his lid. He was one hundred percent convinced that Randy was his brother and his "parents" weren't his parents at all. 

Pulling into the driveway, Matthew could feel his heart racing. He was about to confront the two people he loved most in this world about the one thing they had kept hidden from him all his life. Walking inside, he strolled over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. Matthew sat down at the dinner table, where both of them were eating pizza.

"Who are you?"

His father stopped mid chew. "What are you talking about?"

"You two aren't my real parents."

Matthew's mother dropped her glass, spilling tea all over the table. She glanced at her husband, looking for some kind of an answer.

"Where did you get me?"

Silence. No response.

Matthew raised his voice. "Where did you get me?"

He saw a tear roll down his mother's cheek.

Matthew took a deep breath and yelled at the top of his lungs. **"WHERE DID YOU GET ME?"**

The man across from Matthew broke the silence. "Son ..."

**"DON'T CALL ME 'SON'!"**

"... We intended to tell you when turned eighteen. Matthew, you're adopted."

Matthew rolled his eyes, wanting something more specific. "I'll ask one more time. Where did you get me?"

"We got you from an orphanage when you were two. We tried for years to have a child of our own, but it never worked out."

"An orphanage? Did you ask them where I came from?"

"Yes ... but all they told us is that a woman came to our doorstep crying, shoved you in the caretaker's arms, and ran off."

Matthew looked down at the floor. He wasn't going to get an answer from them. "Look ... I met someone at SmackDown! who looked just like me. Apparently, he's been missing a brother for five years. He took out a picture of him when he was a kid, and he was hugging me. He told me all about how I was taken from them, even saying how I started liking marshmallows."

Matthew chuckled. _"I love me some damn marshmallows"_, he thought to himself.

"Who is this person?", asked the woman.

"His name is Randy Orton. He's a WWE Superstar."

The two looked at each other in shock.

"He's offered to take me with him to meet my real parents. He's even offered me a spot as his manager."

The man looked down at his now cold pizza. Glancing at his wife, he spoke one more time. "If that is what it takes to make you happy, go ahead. That's all we've ever wanted for you."

Matthew looked up at the man, who started to tear up. Heart sinking, Matthew got up and hugged both of them. After a short bout of crying and sobbing, Matthew took a step back and spoke.

"I really ... appreciate what you've ... done for me. But I want to meet ... my real family."

Walking upstairs to his room, he grabbed the three suitcases he owned, and started packing everything he had. Pictures of his friends from high school, his birthday parties, medals from weightlifting, clothes, books, even his video game systems all went into the suitcases. Dragging all three of them down to the base of the stairs, he dialed the number he received earlier tonight.

"Come get me, bro."

"With pleasure", he heard on the other end of the line. Matthew told Randy directions to his house and hung up. He sat in the living room of the house, looking and tearing up at old photo albums. Before he knew it, he saw lights pull up in the driveway and the honk of a horn. Matthew gave one last hug to the people who cared for him for fifteen years, turned around, and headed out the door.

Randy was standing near the open trunk of the car, and helped Matthew fit everything in there. After hugging Randy, Matthew took one last look to his former parents, waved, and stepped in the car. Randy backed out of the driveway and started to drive back to his hotel. It was time for Matthew to live the life he dreamed ... and deserved.

* * *

_How will the newly found brothers get along in the WWE? How will Matthew react upon meeting his real parents? Look for the next chapter same RKO time, same RKO channel!_

_Okay, that was lame. I won't do it again. But please, read and review._

_ SuspiciousInitials  
_


	3. Family Reunion

_Matthew is the only character I own.  
_

_Last time, Matthew confronted his parents about where he came from. After not getting a conclusive answer, Matthew decided that he would join Randy to meet his real family. Packing everything away, Matthew had an emotional goodbye to the people that cared for him for sixteen years. _

_Hope you enjoy it.  
_

* * *

Rolling down the window, Matthew took in a breath of fresh air and looked out the window. The lights of the city of San Antonio whizzed by as Randy got onto the highway on the way back to the hotel. Matthew closed his eyes, but was startled by Randy's voice. 

"So, kid, I haven't seen you in sixteen years. Give me the detailed history of Matthew Orton."

"Matthew Orton? I like the sound of that. Well, I was the smart kid in class, the do-gooder that got on everyone's nerves. I played t-ball when I was in elementary school, did well in that. I quit after I beaned someone in the head pretty badly. After that, I played one year of football in middle school; I was the kicker.

Matthew heard a snicker escape from Randy.

"What? You try kicking the 52-yard playoff-winning field goal."

Impressed, Randy looked over wide-eyed at his little brother and nodded.

"Anyway, before I was so rudely interrupted, I moved on to weightlifting freshman year in high school. I came in second a couple of times at meets, but I never won an event. I did get these guns though." Matthew smiled and pointed to his arms.

"You know, kid, the more you talk, the more of me I find in you. You're just as cocky as I am."

Matthew looked over at Randy and grinned. "Well, I'm not done yet. You'll find more. Sophomore year, I got into my first fight. It wasn't really a fight. More like a beatdown. I laid out this guy with one punch after he tried to flirt with my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?"

Matthew stopped, realizing what Randy was thinking. "Her name is Kimberly."

" ... and? ..."

"No, we didn't."

"Hah, there's one thing I've got over ya."

Matthew shook his head and smiled. "I'm gonna enjoy kicking your ass one day, you know that?"

"I'd like to see you try."

If it weren't for the fact that Randy was driving a car, Matthew would have put Randy in a sleeper hold. "I'll save that for later", he thought. "I loved her, but after we took our class trip to Six Flags, she said she just wanted to be friends."

Matthew paused for a while and looked down at the floorboard. Randy looked over at him. "Come on, Matt. There are plenty more ..."

"... fish in the sea, yeah, yeah. I've heard that more than once. This year, I fell in love with another girl. Camilla was her name. We grew distant after a while. Then she moved to Arkansas."

"Talk about distant, eh?" Matthew glared at Randy. He might do something more than a sleeper hold to him when they got to the hotel.

"Well, cheer up. We're here."

Randy pulled into a parking space at the local Omni hotel. Matthew looked up at the tall building, remembering the one time he stayed here for a weightlifting competition. The two unloaded all of Matthew's luggage, along with Randy's one suitcase and his duffel bag. Grabbing one of the luggage racks, Randy loaded everything on it and stepped on the elevator. Matthew followed in, formulating a plan for when they got in the room. Soon enough, Randy unlocked the door and pushed the luggage in."

"One bed?", Matthew asked? "Where am I gonna sleep?"

"I already set it out for you." Randy pointed beside the bed to a small travel air mattress with a pillow and blanket on it. Matt took one of his suitcases and looked for clothes to sleep in, turning his back to Randy. He immediately found out that his brother had been planning something as well.

Randy had wrapped an arm around Matthew's neck, squeezing as hard as he could. "What the ...?" Already struggling for breath, Matt dropped to one knee. "Come on, Matt, let's see how tough you really are."

That's all it took to light a fire under Matt. Grasping at all the strength he could, he began to lift himself off the ground. Randy began to squeeze the vice he had on Matt's neck, bring Matt back down to one knee.

"I ... can't ... breathe ..."

Matt could feel himself slipping away. His vision became blurry, and he fell down on his stomach. The weight of Randy on his back added to the pressure. Putting his hands flat on the floor, Matt tried to push himself up. With another tight squeeze, however, Matthew only saw black.

* * *

After he lifted Matt's arm a few times, Randy got up and smiled. "He'll learn how to get out of it. I'll make sure that happens." Randy managed to pick up Matt's body and drop it on the air mattress. 

Hearing a faint ringing, Randy went over to his duffel bag on the dresser and searched for his cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, champ! We didn't get a chance to catch you on your way out!"

"_Damn, I still haven't told Mom and Pop yet._ Hey, Pop, don't call me that. I'm not a champion yet."

"Hell, you are in our books! We want to celebrate your first win. How 'bout we go get you and go out to eat?"

"Well, I have someone here that I want you to meet at my hotel room. Can you guys make it up here?"

"Who is it? Did you meet a new girl at the arena?"

Randy chuckled. "Nah, not this time. I won't tell you who it is, but I will tell you that you're dying to meet him."

"Hmmmmm ... alright then. We'll be on our way then. See you soon, son."

"Bye, Pop."

As soon as Randy hit the "end" button on the phone, he looked up at the mirror in front of him to see Matthew creeping up behind him. Realizing that Randy had seen him, Matthew moved quickly and locked a sleeper hold of his own on his brother.

"Oh great..." Matt's arm was like a vice around his neck. This was tighter than any one had done to him in training, and Randy was already starting to lose it. To counter, Randy fell backwards, slamming Matthew's back into the bedpost. The grip was loosened, Randy spun around, and clotheslined Matthew onto the air mattress.

"Jeez ... thats ... one hell of an arm", Randy said while touching his neck.

Matthew smiled and rested his head on the pillow. "I wasn't exaggerating. By the way, who was that on the phone?"

"That was our father."

Matthew sat up immediately. "Really? What did he say?"

"He wants to take me out to a nice dinner with Mom for me winning my first match, but I told him I had someone he wanted to meet."

"So they're coming?"

"Exactly."

Matthew's eyes lit up with excitement. Mom and Dad were coming here to the hotel. The chance to meet his real parents was coming up soon.

Time wasn't going fast enough. Matthew could do nothing but rock back and forth in the desk chair while Randy was changing into something for dinner.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready too?"

"Oh. Yeah. Sure." Matthew fiddled with the lock on his suitcase and was struggling to get it open. Randy looked down at Matt's hands and noticed that they were shaking like crazy.

"Wow ... you're really nervous, aren't you?"

Matthew nodded silently. He fiddled with the lock again and stopped, frustrated.

"Here, let me help you." Randy, with a flick of his wrist, popped the suitcase open.

"Just calm down and put something nice on. Mom and Pop are gonna go crazy when they get here."

"Do you think they'll recognize me?"

Randy hesitated. "Mom will for sure. It might take Pop a second, but he'll be on to you once Mom starts crying uncontrollably."

"I'll be crying like a baby too."

Randy paused for a second while putting a tie on. "I'm sure I will too."

Matthew smiled and dug in his suitcase for something nice. He picked out some khaki pants and a button down shirt and went to the bathroom to change. Right as he was tightening a belt around his waist, Matthew heard a knock at the front door. His heart became lodged in his throat, his heart rate soared, and beads of sweat started to appear on his forehead. He could hear Randy open the door, and two voices, one male and one female, came into the room.

"Mom, Pop, you don't like family reunions, right?"

"Well, they aren't the greatest ... Ow!"

Pop received a nice elbow in the gut from Mom.

"You're gonna love this one. Come on out, kid!"

Grabbing the bathroom door handle, Matthew took a deep breath and gave it a turn. Locking eyes with his father, Bob, and his mother, Elaine, he managed to say one word.

"Hi."

An uneasy silence filled the room as Elaine's eyes widened. Looking at it carefully, she stepped up to her son's face and said ...

"... **_Matthew?!_**"

Matt nodded. "Yeah ... its me."

Tears started to pour from her eyes as she embraced her long-lost son. Bob's mouth was wide open, in shock from what just transpired. Matthew looked up from the hug and saw his father walking towards him. Bob joined the embrace, a single tear coming from his eye. Randy soon followed suit and joined the mass of hugs and tears.

Matthew thought to himself, _"I missed out on sixteen years with a great family."  
_

* * *

_Whew. That was a long one. The bond between Randy and Matthew grows, and the bond between Matthew and his parents just begins. See you next time. Please read and review.  
_


	4. Reactions

_I chugged this one out after getting some inspiration while in the middle of English class. Don't ask. Enjoy. _

_Oh, the disclaimer. Only Matthew is my character._

* * *

Matthew felt as if he was losing his voice. In the last hour or so, he had told his life story to his parents; he hadn't even touched the spaghetti and meatballs he had ordered. He retold everything he could remember, from his time in kindergarten up to the moment he ran into Randy. 

"I first got curious after I saw Randy on the Titantron. I noticed that he sort of looked like me; at first, I thought it was just a coincidence. It wasn't until his match started that I felt like I had seen or met him before. There was still a match to go, but I dashed out of the main arena looking for some sort of autograph table to meet Randy.

"Then he nearly knocked me over", Randy blurted out.

After a chuckle, Matthew continued. "I started to run around the halls, looking for any sort of line of fans. Passing the restrooms and the concession stands, I ran into somebody with a duffel bag." Matthew looked over at Randy. "Lo and behold, it was him."

"I told Matt the story of what happened to him that day. I kinda laughed when his eyes widened after I mentioned that you fed him a marshmallow, Mom."

"I am crazy about marshmallows", Matthew said. Everyone had a nice laugh as Matthew finally dug into his spaghetti, scarfing it down quickly.

"It must have been the marshmallow talk", joked Bob.

When everyone was finished, the server brought the dessert menus to the table. After quickly scanning his, Matthew was disappointed to find no sort of marshmallow dessert. Everyone ordered something, Matthew settling for a large piece of double chocolate cake. For the first time that night, there was a moment of complete silence.

Of course, it didn't last long.

Randy broke the silence. "Pop, I want Matthew to be my manager."

Everyone looked at Randy, Matthew with a huge smile on his face. Randy knew how much Matthew wanted this. After a second, everyone looked at Bob Orton.

"I thought you might ask something like that, but that wasn't exactly it."

Matthew and Randy looked confused. A thought instantly came to Matt's mind.

"No way..."

"I thought you might want to become a tag team!"

The two brothers looked at each other, jaws to the ground. Randy looked surprised, yet a bit skeptical, while Matthew looked like he has just won a $500 million lottery prize.

"I ... I could become a pro?"

"With some training, I could have you ready anywhere from half a year to a year. Hell, son, you've already got the arms for it!"

Matthew's cheeks got a little red while looking at his guns. His senses were on overload. In one night, he discovered he had a brother, found out that he had been raised for sixteen years by parents who adopted him, met his real parents, and discovered that he may have a future as a professional wrestler.

What a complete and total 180 degree turn.

* * *

_Five months later ... It's the middle of September. Randy has been drafted to RAW after the brand extension, and Matthew has been at home being trained by his father._

Matthew fell to his knees, exhausted. Seven laps around the local high school track were getting easier every day, but it still felt like he was going to die every time he finished.

"Come on, Matt! I would think this would be cake by now!", yelled his father.

"Its cake alright ... a piece of dry ... crumbly ... stale ... cake ..."

"Well, at least it's getting easier for you. Go take a shower and relax. I think you've had enough for today."

_"Dad's right. Crunches, push-ups, windsprints, ring exercises ... I could drop dead any second."_

Matthew fell back on the cool grass and caught his breath. If this all led to a piece of WWE gold around his waist one day, he would repeat what he did today forever. Matt closed his eyes, took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself ... and fell asleep. Matt's dad shook his head and grinned.

"He'll learn."

Packing up everything but Matt's backpack, he took off in his truck toward the house.

About 15 minutes passed and Matthew woke up. Immediately sitting up, he surveyed the parking lot and groaned when he didn't see his father's truck.

"Damn it, I hate it when I do that."

Slowly getting to his feet, Matt walked over to his backpack and opened his bottle of water. Although he took a sip or two, Matt drenched himself with the remainder. While looking for his towel, he noticed his cell phone was illuminated.

"A voicemail? From Dad?"

After pressing a few buttons, Matt heard his dad's distraught and concerned voice.

"Matt, it's your brother."

_"Uh oh. What the hell happened?"_ Matt's heart became lodged in his throat.

"He separated his shoulder in a match on RAW last night. He's gonna be out for about nine months. Your mom and I have already left for the hospital he's in. Stay put, keep on your regimen, and don't splurge on anything. We'll be gone for a week or so."

"They just left me here? And Randy's in the hospital? ... That helps my concentration", he said to himself sarcastically. "How the hell am I supposed to stay focused knowing that?"

He decided to call his dad. Ring after ring felt like hour after hour passing. No answer; his dad's voicemail picked up every time. Matt kept trying, but it seemed like his dad had turned off his phone.

"He wouldn't do that to me; he's probably out of range or something's wrong with the service right now."

At least Matthew hoped so.

The following three days were some of the most stressful, both mentally and physically, in Matt's life. He had stayed true to his diet and training regimen, running seven laps, doing sets of push-ups, sit-ups, and all the other "ups" he could think of. Out of anger, Matt even did extra, focusing that energy into his workout. Matt went out and bought a punching bag, punching the hell out of it at every hint of frustration. Every night before going to bed, Matt tried calling his parents, but with no success. On the third night, Matthew couldn't hold it in any longer. He charged the punching bag so hard, the chain snapped off the ceiling. Hungry, he went to fix himself dinner, but started to cry from all the emotion overwhelming his body. Trying to control himself yielded no results. Matthew always had one weakness: the separation of himself from family. It was one of his greatest fears.

Matthew finally got himself to stop shaking, and, after scarfing down his tuna sandwich, he turned on the television to watch that night's RAW. The opening was the same old business, Triple H yapping his mouth about being the Game and how superior he was compared to the whole WWE roster.

"I'd give anything to give him a good fist in the mouth", Matthew muttered out loud.

After HHH was done, Matthew got up to pace around the room. When RAW came back from commercial, Matthew heard what sounded like the theme to a news broadcast.

"That's strange. Did I change the channel accidentally?"

Focusing on the screen, he saw the letters "RNN" appear, along with Randy with a sling on one arm.

"What the hell is this?" Jim Ross read Matthew's mind as he said the exact same thing seconds later.

Bob Orton appeared next to his son, apparently beginning the "Randy News Network". Randy spoke in an extremely arrogant and cocky tone, something Matt had never seen Randy do before.

"He's always been respectful to the fans ..."

Now it seemed like Randy expected that the fans would grovel like servants to a kind over his shoulder injury. Matthew was disgusted and repulsed.

"THIS is why they wouldn't call me back?"

Matthew didn't know if he should be angry or not. He finally found out the status of his brother, but he found out through television instead of a phone call from either Randy or his parents. A sense of rejection overcame Matthew, and he plopped down on the sofa in defeat.

"I am going to kick Randy's ass the next time I see him ... shoulder healed or not."

Deciding to retire for the night early, Matthew missed the segment showing Ric Flair and Triple H watching a video of Batista on SmackDown!, nodding their heads in approval.

* * *

Matthew awoke to the sound of glass breaking. He shot up in bed, thinking someone had broken into the house. Shaking his head, he reached over to the nightstand and answered his phone. 

"Hello?"

Randy's voice answered. "Hey, bro! What's going ..."

**"WHY THE HELL HASN'T SOMEONE ANSWERED MY CALLS?!"**, Matthew yelled into the phone.

Randy went silent. Matthew could hear someone in the background speaking to Randy.

**"I CAN HEAR DAD TOO, RANDY! ANSWER MY QUESTION!"**

"We ... we didn't want to let you in on our plan."

"Plan? What plan?"

"Well, you've seen RAW for the last couple of weeks, right? I haven't been getting title shots or anything close to one. So, Dad came up with the idea of RNN to make some enemies and get some attention ... and who better to anger than the fans, bro?"

_"Well, you sure succeeded at pissing off one of your fans."_

"Why wasn't I told about this?"

"You know you can't keep a secret! You jump around like a little kid whenever you find out something new!"

This didn't help things. Matt's heart rate only accelerated. "You don't know how worried I was about you! I broke down crying last night!"

"Suck it up, kid. You're seventeen years old. Grow up."

Matthew became infuriated. Hanging up immediately, he threw the phone against the wall and sat there, breathing heavily. Randy had made some enemies; Matthew was one of them. This was a complete turnaround from the demeanor Randy had with him normally. Deciding to blow off steam, Matt decided to go running early. Ten laps seemed good.

* * *

Returning from the high school track and the local gym, Matthew walked down the street towards his house. Matt's body was sore as hell, but he was too angry to notice. 

"A can of tuna sounds really good right now."

Turning into the driveway, Matthew froze when he saw his family arriving at the front door. Sure enough, Randy had a sling over his arm. He wanted to charge in and tackle Randy, beat him senseless, let him know how he left his brother at the end of his wit. He didn't get a chance to; his mother saw him in the driveway and waved.

Showing a little smile, Matthew sped up the driveway to meet his family.

"I'd give you a hug, Mom, but I don't think you'd want sweat all over you." Matthew glanced at his father, then stood toe to toe with Randy, looking up at him straight in the eye. His parents looked at each other; the look on Matthew's face was downright horrific. Seconds passed.

Then Matthew gave Randy the biggest hug since he had that night in San Antonio. "I'm glad you're okay."

Randy winced in pain, but embraced Matt back with his one good arm.

"It's nice to see ya, Matt."

"Just don't pull something like that again."

Matthew turned to his father and gave him the same embrace.

"Now, son, I think you're gonna like this piece of news. You're gonna have your WWE tryout match next week on SmackDown."

Matthew jumped incredibly high, screaming at the top of his lungs. Randy moved back just in case Matt backed into him, but he couldn't help but smile for his little brother. After Matthew calmed down and stopped bouncing around, he asked his father one question.

"Who am I going up against? Its not Hardcore Holly, is it?" Matthew remembered how hard Randy's match was against Holly.

"Heh, you got lucky. Its one of their new guys over on SmackDown. You'll be going up against John Cena."

Matt reeled back at the news.

_"He was the one who almost defeated Kurt Angle on his WWE debut."_

Randy spoke up. "He's got nothing on you, Matt. You'll be competing with the big boys after next week."

Matthew smiled uneasily. He certainly had his work cut out for him.

As everyone walked in, Matthew muttered to himself, "I don't even have a finisher yet."

* * *

_Matthew does a little soul searching before he goes up against Cena. What will he pick as his signature move and what will he name it? Will Matthew be successful against Cena? _

_That was an awesome RAW, by the way. I freaked out more than once._

Read and review, please. This one's my favorite so far. 


	5. Struggle

_Disclaimer: Matthew is my character. No one else. _

_300 hits, a landmark for me. Thank you everyone for reading._

_After a trip to San Antonio itself, I had some more inspiration for this long chapter.  
_

_Last time, tension arose between Randy and Matthew after Matthew was left in the dark concerning RNN and Randy's injured shoulder. It almost came to blows between the two. This time, Matthew gets his tryout match against John Cena._

* * *

The alarm clock on Matthew's nightstand read "1:37 AM". He was in bed, staring at the ceiling. At 9:00 that morning, he would be on a plane to Richmond, Virginia to warm up at the arena for SmackDown the next night. Matt had tried to fall asleep numerous times, but his nerves were getting the better of him. One more time, he closed his eyes and started to count sheep. Just as he was fading away, a knock at the door startled him. Sitting up, Matt saw Randy come in and sit at the base of his bed. 

"Can't sleep, huh?"

Matthew shook his head. "I'm going to be in front of thousands of people."

"Millions. Don't forget the cameras."

Matthew shot a look at Randy. "Thanks for reminding me", he said sarcastically.

"Listen, I felt just like you are right now when I stood behind that stage in San Antonio. And I went up against a veteran. You, on the other hand, are going up against a rookie just like you with only a month or two of experience."

Matthew started to stare at the floor. "Maybe I'm in over my head. Maybe I should just be your manager."

"Wow ... listen to you! Just a couple of months ago, you were jumping at the bit to become a WWE Superstar. Dad even explained to you the hardships and responsibilities you were going to experience. I talked to you about it. You won't always win. Sometimes, you will get the crap kicked out of you. Sometimes, you will do the kicking. If you can't get over the possibility of losing, then you don't need that match!"

Randy got up and walked to the door, groaning a bit from his injured shoulder.

"... Randy, wait." Randy turned around to face his brother. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"For letting you think that I wasn't ready. I'm gonna work my ass off and put my best effort into that match, win, lose, or draw."

Randy cracked a grin. "That's what I like to hear."

Matthew stood up and took a sip from the water bottle on his dresser. "Thanks for coming in here. I don't think I would have made it to SmackDown otherwise."

Randy walked over to his little brother and gave him a hug with his one good arm. Matt returned the hug, careful not to aggravate Randy's shoulder.

"By the way, how did you think of a signature move?"

"I don't really have one yet. What you saw in San Antonio was just something I made up on the fly. It didn't have a name. I still haven't settled on a move."

"Think about your initials."

Randy stepped back and cocked his head. "RKO. Hell, look at that! I feel like an idiot for not thinking of that."

Matthew chuckled. "You'll see the **M**KO on SmackDown."

"The MKO? You settled on a finisher?"

"Yeah. It starts as a suplex, and then turns into a sort of a tombstone piledriver."

"Whoa, whoa ... don't you think the Undertaker might come after you?"

"Taker? Why? It doesn't look at all like his regular Tombstone. Cena might come after me after losing to a debuting rookie though."

The two brothers enjoyed a laugh before Matthew spoke up again.

"Do you think they'll keep me on SmackDown?"

"That's all up to Stephanie McMahon. She's the General Manager on SmackDown and, depending on how your match goes, she'll decide what to do with you."

"Don't you want me to be on RAW with you?"

"Well, not right now. This RNN thing will just put negative light on you. Guilt by association. The crowd should cheer for you so you can get some confidence in ya. Since Cena pulled that rapper stuff, I think the roof of the arena would come off if you smacked him around."

"But ... don't you want to tag together?"

Randy thought Matt would get around to this, and he didn't have an answer for him.

"I do, I really do." Randy hesitated.

"Well?"

"You think I would hold you back?"

_"Bingo"_, Randy thought. "No, no, of course not. I just don't think its best for you to side with me right now."

"You do think I would hold you back! You've seen me in the ring down at the gym! You don't have confidence in me? What you said to me when you got home was just a lie?"

"_I don't need this right now._ Matt, I wouldn't lie to you."

"Bullcrap! You already have. Hell, you shouldn't be worried about my ability; you're the one with the injured shoulder!"

That was the exact wrong thing to say.

"Watch your mouth, kid." Randy poked Matthew hard in the chest with one finger. "Don't ever say something like that to me again."

Matthew shoved Randy back with two hands. "You're not my mother. I can say what I want."

Randy slapped Matthew with such force that it knocked Matthew down on the bed. With a large red spot on his face, Matthew responded.

"You know ... maybe I **AM** going to like it on SmackDown. The farther away I am from you, the better. When that shoulder heals, I'm going to come on RAW and take you apart."

"Empty words, little man. I'll be so big, you won't be able to get near me."

Saying no more, Randy left the room. Matthew was so angry, the veins were bulging from his neck. SmackDown was going to be his home, and John Cena was going to be his first victim.

"I can't believe he doesn't think I can pull my own weight."

Calming down, he looked at the clock. 2:30 AM.

"I need some sleep. The next couple of days are going to be huge."

For the first time that night, Matthew closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Randy retreated to his room and sat down on the bed. His shoulder ached like hell after getting shoved like that. Randy took a few painkillers to offset the annoyance. He had worked far longer and far harder than Matthew, went through numerous tryout matches before getting a televised one, and now his brother got a one-way ticket straight to the WWE. Matthew may make it to RAW, but Randy was going to see to it that his first match on RAW would convince him to leave the WWE for good.

"Brother or not, Matthew will not mess up my chances to become a champion."

* * *

Matthew woke up and realized that he was on the plane, en route to Richmond. He couldn't recall the time between waking up, loading the car, driving to the airport, and getting on the plane. 

"Hey there, son! Its about time you woke up!"

Matt turned to see his father sitting next to him. He looked around for Randy and his mother, but saw neither.

"Where's Randy?"

"He's gonna stay at home. He'll watch your match on television."

_"Yeah right"_, Matthew thought to himself.

"What's wrong?"

Matthew snapped out of thought. "Nerves. Just nerves."

"You'll do fine. We're all going to cheer for you."

"You and Mom will", Matthew muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Well, lets talk about tonight ... Matthew? ... Son?"

Matthew had fallen back asleep already, catching up on what he lost last night.

"He's just like his brother."

It wasn't too long until Matthew woke up again, this time from the bouncing of the plane as it landed on the runway.

_"I was just about to hit Randy with a steel chair ..."_

Getting off the plane, Matthew headed to the baggage claim. His father was close behind. Bob noticed something had gotten into his son; there was something different in the way he walked and interacted with people. He was more aggressive and quieter than usual. Something was wrong.

They drove to the hotel, and Matthew got the key from his dad. They would be staying in separate rooms, located at opposite ends of the hotel, since the SmackDown roster was bunched together in one area. Matthew hugged his dad, said a goodbye, and tossed his duffel bag onto the bed. He detoured into the bathroom and took a long look at himself.

"I overreacted. I haven't even stepped foot in a WWE ring yet; I don't have any right to make any assumptions about why Randy got injured."

Matthew stepped out of the bathroom and pulled his cell phone out of his bag. He quickly dialed his brother and waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Randy, its Matt."

There was a long silence. "What do you want?"

"Listen, I had no right to said what I did to you last night. I haven't wrestled a match professionally yet, and I have no idea what its like. I ... I apologize."

Randy was a bit surprised to hear Matthew's words.

"Look, I appreciate your apology, and I apologize myself for slapping you last night. I think we both have a bit of a temper, and it gets us in trouble. I'm sorry too."

Matthew smiled. "I'd hug you if I was over there."

"Me too, Matt. Me too. Go get 'em tomorrow."

"Cena's gettin' an MKO just for you, bro."

Randy hung up. "Hell, we're brothers. We're supposed to act like this", he thought as he put his sling on. He laughed, shook his head, and reminded himself to calm his ego.

Back in Richmond, Matthew started to empty his bag when he saw his ring gear. Attached was a note from Mom: "Hope you like them!" Design-wise, they were the same as Randy's when he debuted. The colors were inverted, however: yellow trunks with "ORTON" emblazoned in big blue letters. He smiled and tossed them on the dresser. He changed into some swimming trunks, grabbed a towel, and headed down to the pool to swim some laps.

Walking down the hall to the elevator, he saw several of the wrestlers that he admired as a kid as well as some the Superstars of today. Eddie Guerrero was in the room across from him; Rey Mysterio was next to him as well. Edge was down the hallway to the left, and Chris Benoit was the same to the right. Matthew almost, literally, ran into Brock Lesnar, and the Undertaker stepped into the elevator to the bottom floor with him. Matthew didn't say anything because he couldn't think of anything to say. He could have sworn he saw Taker give a slight nod to him as he got off the elevator.

This was quite a sensory overload.

Matthew finally got to the swimming pool and settled down at a chair. This was the big leagues. This was the chance of a lifetime. He wasn't going to let this go. Matthew took his shirt off and dove right into the pool. Exercise was to be several times back and forth between edges of the pool, and Matthew meant several.

Matthew felt like he couldn't go any longer and floated over to the ladder. He quickly plopped himself down in his chair and caught his breath. Matt closed his eyes and relaxed his whole body. When he opened his eyes, someone was looking straight down at him.

"Aren't you the Orton kid?"

Matthew had to let his eyes adjust, but eventually realized who it was. John Cena was standing over him.

"Yeah ... Cena, I presume?"

"Word. I wanted to wish you good luck tomorrow."

Matthew got up and gave Cena a strange look. "_I thought this guy was an ass?_ Thanks. You too."

"I've heard a lot about you from your dad."

"Really? What did he say?"

"That you're better than your brother."

"What? No way. He still thinks I'm a little kid."

"Well, then he said that his little kid is better than his big brother."

Matthew cocked his head. "You're pulling my leg!"

"You're wrong there, kid. I look forward to tomorrow night."

"To be honest, John, I got the impression that you were a complete and total prick. But after talking to you, its the complete opposite."

"When I'm in the ring, I'm a little aggressive, but I'm a cool dude off the mat."

Matt cracked a smile. "I think I'm gonna like it on SmackDown."

"Whoa, whoa, hold on. You gotta beat me first."

"I think I can manage."

"We'll see, kid. See you in the ring."

John shook Matt's hand and went back into the hotel. Matthew felt like he was in high school. He made a friend, but he was going to have to kick the crap out of him eventually. After drying himself off, Matt put his shirt back on and made his way back to his room. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting night.

* * *

Randy was walking on the same track that Matthew trained at earlier that year. Just because he was injured didn't mean he couldn't workout. As he was rounding the track, he heard his cell phone ringing, ran over to it, and answered. 

"Hello?"

"Orton, I've been watching your matches, and I think you're part of the future of this business."

Randy was taken aback by these comments. "Thank you ... but ... who is this?"

"This is Triple H. Ric Flair and I want you to join us once your shoulder has healed. When will that be?"

"_Triple H wants me in his stable?!_ Um ... the doctor says late January, early February."

"Good. We have two more prospects that are on SmackDown. Batista ..."

"That guy? He's a monster."

"... and your little brother."

Randy almost dropped the phone in surprise. "How ... how did you find out about him?"

"Ric hears your father bragging about him all the time. We're looking forward to watching Matt's first match."

Randy was ecstatic about joining Triple H and Ric Flair, but ... his brother too?

* * *

A good night's sleep had given Matthew the extra energy he needed. Dad had given him a pep talk before going up to his seat in a VIP box. Matthew was in the general locker room, saying a short prayer. He heard John Cena's music start, and his heart rate accelerated. Taking a deep breath, Matthew got up and started towards the entrance ramp. He recalled to mind everything his father and Randy taught him: strategies, moves, and mind tricks. Before long, Matthew was standing behind the same curtain Randy stood behind in San Antonio. 

Matthew looked up to the sky, pointed upwards, and said, "This is for you, Randy". Matthew's music, a faster version of Randy's old music, hit, and he walked out onto the ramp. The sheer amount of people in the arena made Matthew stop in awe. He could hear the whistles of women directed at him, and he grinned. Looking down at the ring, he saw Cena standing in the middle of it, pointed straight at him, and strolled down to the ring.

"Introducing his opponent, from San Antonio, Texas, weighing in at 231 pounds, Matthew Orton!"

A chill ran down Matthew's neck as he heard his name echo throughout the arena. He looked straight into Cena's eyes, trying to establish some sort of fear in John. Once the bell rang, the two locked up. Cena got the better of Matthew, kicking him in the stomach and whipping Matt to the ropes. Cena's incoming clothesline was dodged by Matt, who delivered a tremendous one of his own, Cena's back hitting the canvas with force. Matt rebounded off the ropes again, this time landing a leg drop across the neck of Cena. Before Matthew could get up, however, Cena grabbed his feet, tripping Matthew. A Boston Crab was applied, and Matthew started to yelp in pain. The pain was intense, but Matt started to pull himself to the ropes. Cena tried to keep Matt from moving, but it was too easy for Matt to reach the bottom rope. John reluctantly let go, and Matt crawled to one of the corners. The next thing that Orton saw was two feet flying at him. Cena had dropkicked Matthew square in the chest, knocking all the wind out of him, and producing a load groan from the crowd. While Matthew was struggling to breathe, Cena dragged him to the center of the ring and went for the three-count.

"1, 2, ..."

At the last second, Matthew lifted his shoulder. His dad breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down in his seat. Michael Cole was going crazy, yelling all kinds of unintelligible blabber like he always does. Cena picked Matthew up and whipped him to the opposite turnbuckle. The impact was just as bad as Cena's dropkick, and Matthew started to wheeze. Cena ran full speed towards Matt, but Matt sidestepped, sending Cena into the turnbuckle chest first. Matthew countered with a belly-to-back suplex, tossing Cena into the middle of the ring. A surge of strength entered Matthew, and he started to climb the turnbuckle. The fans started to cheer wildly, but Matt's dad stood up with his eyes wide open, terrified. He hadn't emphasized going up top at all, but Matthew decided to try it anyway. Narrowing his focus, Matthew launched himself up into the air with a somersault leg drop.

His leg hit nothing but canvas. Hard.

Cena had rolled out of the way. The shock of hitting the canvas shot up Matthew's spine, and he screamed out in agony. Cena quickly capitalized, landing kick after kick on Matthew's lower back. With every impact, Matt cried out loudly in pain. His vision was getting blurry and the noise of the crowd began to fade in and out. Cena motioned to the crowd that the end was near, and boos started to resound all over the arena. John picked Matt off the ground and lifted his opponent onto his back. After a pause, a lethal F-U was dealt to Matt. Bob Orton put his head down in his hands, accepting the fact that Matthew would lose. Cena covered the motionless body on the mat.

"1, 2, th..."

The crowd erupted in yells and cheers when Matthew kicked out. Looking up, Bob grinned in both shock and surprise, urging Matthew to get up. Cena stood wide-eyed in the ring, looking down at Matthew's trembling body. Enraged, John lifted Matthew up for another F-U. Somehow, Matthew pushed himself off Cena and shoved him into the ropes. When John rebounded, Matt kicked him in the stomach, put his opponent's head into the suplex position, pointed toward his dad in his VIP box, and hit the MKO. Cole was yelling something, the crowd went crazy, and both competitors were on their backs.

"Orton! Orton! Orton! Orton!"

Matthew could make out the crowd cheering for him, and he managed to pull himself up. Adrenaline pumping throughout his body, he picked up Cena and managed to lift him up for one more MKO. Finally, Matthew went for the cover.

"1, 2, 3!"

"Here is your winner, Matthew Orton!"

Matthew stood in the center of the ring, jaw to the ground. He did it. He had battled his way to his first victory. The fans made so much noise as Matthew climbed the turnbuckle and raised his arms in triumph. He remembered how the Rock would bask in the cheers of the crowd when he watched the WWE when he was younger. Closing his eyes, he did the same, listening to the sound of the crowd. Smiling, he lifted his arms again and jumped down to the mat. Matthew turned around and saw Cena get in his face.

The crowd went silent, brimming with anticipation on what might take place. The two stared each other down, Matthew clutching his back and Cena with a hand on the top of his head. After what seemed like an eternity, John outstretched his hand. Matthew looked down at it, looked back up at Cena, and shook his hand. Cena raised Matthew's arm and the crowd erupted in applause. The two walked up the entrance ramp together to Matthew's music. Once backstage, Cena said a couple of words to Matthew before retreating to the showers.

"Much respect, dude. I'll catch ya later."

A grin appeared on Matthew's face. Friendship was one thing; respect was another. He turned around to head up to his father's VIP box, but encountered someone very tall standing in his way. Looking up, he saw the Undertaker's face looking down at him.

"Oh crap ... Randy was right."

Matthew froze in intimidation. His heart started racing just as it did on the elevator at the hotel. Matthew braced himself for a hit when he spied Taker's arm moving. However, Taker just slapped Matthew on the back a couple of times and said, "Nice match, Orton". Taker then walked around him and headed out of the arena. Matthew started to breathe again, shook his head in amazement, and continued upwards towards the VIP box. After taking the elevator, Matthew arrived on the VIP floor. He was immediately embraced by his father just as he stepped out.

"You did it, son! Goddamn, I'm so proud of you! When your mother and your brother see your match, they'll go crazy!"

"Dad ... Dad ... I can't breathe ..."

Bob realized he was squeezing the life out of Matthew and let go a bit, much to his son's relief.

"Just promise you won't scare me again by trying something like that off the turnbuckle."

Matthew chuckled. "Ok, Dad. I'll be more careful next time."

When he looked up from the hug, Matthew found out that there were two more men in the VIP box with his father: Triple H and Ric Flair.

* * *

_Brothers will be brothers. Jealous and wanting to kick the living crap out of each other. Matthew won his debut match, gaining the respect of more than one Superstar. What will Triple H and Ric Flair have to say to Matthew? What will Randy have to say to Matthew? And what show will Matthew be on: RAW or SmackDown?_

_Read and review, please. _


	6. Initiation

_Spring Break means more chapters. Randy watches Matthew's match and Matthew meets Triple H, Ric Flair, and Batista._

_Enjoy. Read and review, please. makes puppy eyes  
_

* * *

Randy was surprised that he hadn't heard anything from either his dad or Matthew. He was anxious to find out the results of the match. Ever since 4:00 that afternoon, Randy had been sitting down on the couch anticipating the start of SmackDown. About 10 minutes before the show began, Randy's mother emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn and offered some to her son. He reluctantly took some. 

"Don't worry. He'll do great."

"I hope so. The last thing I want to see is his dream driven into the ground."

Elaine gave her son a strange look. _"He usually doesn't talk that way."_

"And I'm here at home with this stupid freaking shoulder and I can't do a damn thing about it."

"Son, it'll be over before you know it. You'll be wrestling with your brother in no time."

Randy really hoped it was "with" and not "against". All the ill feelings he had recently toward Matthew evaporated. The only thing he cared about was his little brother. Triple H was a strange individual. You were either with him or against him. If Matthew lost tonight, Triple H might take it as an insult and send Flair and Batista to get him. The only thing that would convince HHH to keep him if Matthew lost was to betray his brother. Randy didn't want it to come to that. All Matthew had to do was beat this stupid little street thug.

_"What am I thinking? I am getting way too paranoid about this. Matthew's gonna do fine and we're gonna be the most dominant group on RAW."_

SmackDown had started, and Vince McMahon was blabbing his mouth off about something; Randy was too preoccupied to care. Ever since Stacy lured Randy into that trap in Mr. McMahon's office, Randy had little to no respect for the man. He was a gullible, tyrannical, power hungry ... Randy could go on and on, but he didn't want to pop a blood vessel. The first match wasn't Matthew's, so he went outside to get a breath of fresh air.

Looking up at the setting sun, Randy was reminded of the times when he prayed for Matthew to come back. Every single night before he went to bed from the time Matthew went missing to the night before SmackDown in San Antonio, Randy pulled out the picture of him hugging Matthew and looked up at the sky. With a tear in his eye, he would ask God to bring his little brother home.

Randy felt a tear slip down his cheek, and he wiped it off. He had never felt like this in his life. The two brothers had been reunited for less than a year, but Randy felt like he had been by Matthew's side every day. Randy had his brother back and was extremely afraid to lose him again.

"RANDY! Its starting! Hurry!"

Randy snapped out of his trance and rushed back into the living room. Cena had just finished making his entrance, taking that stupid chain off his neck. Randy then heard his music hit, and Matthew walked out onto the ramp. Randy immediately smiled from ear to ear; he couldn't help but beam with pride at his flesh and blood. All that training that Matthew was put through shaped his body quite nicely, matching, if not surpassing, his brother's. Randy laughed with he could hear the whistles of some of the women in the crowd.

"He's definitely an Orton", Randy commented.

His mother chuckled and nodded her head in approval. Matthew had made it to the center of the ring and stared down Cena. Randy could see the look on Matthew's face and got pumped up. The bell rang and the two locked up. Matthew was dominating the early going; a nice clothesline and a leg drop. Nothing fancy, but it worked. Randy gasped when Cena got a hold of Matthew's legs and turned it into a Boston Crab. Matt had gotten better at surviving submission holds since Randy had first put him in a sleeper hold, but Matt still had a habit of tapping out way too early. Luckily, he was able to pull himself to the bottom rope. Randy was screaming at the television, urging Matthew get up, but it was too late. Cena had dropkicked Matthew in the chest; Randy could almost feel the pain himself. Randy stood up when Cena went for the three-count, but sat back down, relieved, after Matthew managed to kick out. Matthew was whipped to the turnbuckle and Cena charged in at him. Randy jumped, yelling triumphantly, when Matthew moved out of the way and countered with a belly-to-back suplex.

However, Randy's heart sank to his stomach when he saw Matthew go up to the top rope. He knew Matthew's ability up there wasn't top notch, but he admired his brother for having the gall to get up there. Randy averted his vision; he couldn't watch. He heard something hit the mat hard and slowly looked up at the screen. Matthew was writhing in pain, Cena kicking him repeatedly in the back. Randy felt like it was over. There was no way Matthew could recover from such a mistake. He put his head in his hands and looked at the ground. The crowd started to boo; Randy looked up and saw Cena holding Matthew, ready for the F-U.

Randy turned off the television.

"Randy, what are you doing?"

"I can't watch it."

Elaine turned the television back on, and the crowd was going nuts. Cena looked stunned and Randy realized that Matthew had kicked out.

"Damn, that ... that's my kid brother!"

Randy started to scream at the television again when Cena lifted Matthew up for another F-U. Matthew slipped off and shoved Cena into the ropes. After a kick to the stomach, Matthew put Cena's head under his arm, inverted the suplex in mid-air, and drove Cena's head into the mat. Randy and his mom stood in awe of what just happened.

"That must be the MKO."

"The what?"

"The MKO. Its what Matthew calls that move."

Randy screamed at Matthew to get up; the whole arena was chanting his little brother's name. Matt got up and lifted Cena up for another MKO, doing so successfully. Randy was jumping up and down, ignoring the pain in his shoulder.

"1, 2, 3!"

"YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Randy's scream filled the whole house, even causing a flock of birds to scatter outside. He hugged his mom, tears in his eyes from the overwhelming sense of joy and pride he had in Matthew. She was shocked at the level of emotion in her son. Nothing had caused him to act in this way before.

"I've got to call Matt."

Randy raced to his room, noticing that his phone was already ringing. Picking it up, he expected the caller ID to read "Matthew" or "Dad".

It was Triple H.

* * *

Matthew stood frozen to the spot. Two of the biggest stars in the WWE were staring right at him. 

"Son, I'd like you to meet ..."

"... Triple H and Ric Flair", Matthew thought out loud.

"Kid, your father was right; you're a hell of an athlete."

"Thank ... thank you." Matthew was still in shock on who he was actually talking to.

Flair spoke up. "You've got endurance too. After missing that flip leg drop and taking an F-U, you still kicked out. One hell of a show, kid."

Matthew was speechless, but Flair got the idea of what Matthew was thinking.

It was HHH's turn to speak up. "We're gonna take over training you so your father can be free to work with officially training for the WWE."

Matthew looked over at his father.

"I'll be here; you just won't see me nearly as much as you do now. Since HHH and Flair have taken you under their wing ..."

"What about Randy?", Matthew blurted out.

Flair and HHH looked at each other. "We contacted him before your match, and he'll be joining us once his shoulder heals."

Matthew hesitated before asking a question. "Why are you interested in me? This was only my first match."

Flair answered. "Kid, we were already interested in Randy after he debuted in April. When we heard from your pop that he had another learning the ropes, we were naturally interested. We got some early tapes of you working in the ring and decided that you were the right stuff. This match was the final criteria."

"I'm ... I'm ... overwhelmed."

"We know you are, kid. Go hit the showers and change into some street clothes. We're gonna take you out to celebrate your victory."

Hunter extended his hand to Matthew and Matthew shook it immediately. Flair followed suit, and Matthew hugged his father again. Training with his father was exciting, but the prospect of training with Triple H and Ric Flair left Matthew without breath or words. The newly crowned World Heavyweight Champion and the Dirtiest Player in the Game were going to become his mentors.

Matthew hit the button to take the elevator down, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He looked over to see Hunter with a key in his hand. "Get your stuff and take this key to get access to my locker room. You don't need to share one with the other guys."

Matthew has been in the WWE for one day. He met many Superstars in the hotel he was staying at, won his debut match against John Cena, got invited to a stable by HHH and Ric Flair, and was now being given a private locker room. This was starting to become too much. He was worried about Randy becoming jealous. It took Randy a long time to get where he was; it took Matthew less than six months.

Taking the elevator down to the general locker room, Matthew quickly got his duffel bag and made his way to Triple H's room. For the first time in the night, he had a chance to relax. The feeling of warm water covering him made him go weak in the knees. After being refreshed, Matthew changed into a t-shirt and jeans. He picked up his cell phone to call Randy, but was interrupted by his father coming into the locker room.

"Wait! Don't call him yet."

"Why not? I bet he's excited to know what happened."

"No! Leave him in suspense; he'll watch the match on TV tomorrow."

Matthew was about to disagree, but he reconsidered. Letting Randy see his match instead of just telling him the result seemed logical; Randy could see his fighting style and see just how his little brother's training summed up. He put his cell phone back in his bag and started to walk to the door the locker room with his father. HHH and Flair met them at the door.

"I'm going to talk with Steph and see to it that you get on RAW", HHH said to Matthew. "You, me, Flair, Batista, and Randy will rock the wrestling world come early next year."

* * *

Randy answered the phone. 

"Hello?"

"You should be proud. Your brother kicked Cena's ass."

Randy chuckled. "You should have seen my face when he MKO'ed Cena the second time; I was screaming at the TV and jumping up and down."

"MKO?"

"Oh, that's what Matthew calls that move he used to finish Cena off."

There was a short pause. "Oh ... where'd he get the name from?"

"Those are his initials. Once I find a move for myself, I'll call it the RKO."

"He'll stay on SmackDown for one more week, but Matthew will be coming to RAW the day after Unforgiven, September 23rd. Bischoff will put him in a match that night."

Randy's thoughts began to fire. He was still doing RNN, but it looked like Matthew would be able to shake the negative effects off with his two matches on SmackDown.

"Next week, he'll face the Hurricane. And then once he gets on RAW, he's gonna hunt for the Intercontinental Championship."

"Good, good. Matthew and I will tear it up once I get back in the ring."

"Thats what I want to hear. Ric and I will be training your brother while you get well; your father expressed an interest in overseeing your recovery."

"When will I get to see Matthew again?"

"After next week's SmackDown. We'll all fly to St. Louis and see how you're doing."

"Thanks for letting me know this, Hunter."

"Take care, Orton."

Triple H hung up, and Randy smiled. His brother was well on his way to becoming a champion. Daydreaming, he saw himself with the World Heavyweight Championship and Matthew with the Intercontinental Championship. Of course, Triple H would have to lose his belt before it would be possible.

Randy's phone rang again. This time, it was Matthew.

"Little bro! You were freaking awesome out there!"

"I told you Cena would get his ass handed to him. Did you see the MKO?"

"Yeah, it looks awesome ... and painful. By the way, how the hell did you kick out of an F-U?"

"Adrenaline and strength, dude. I wouldn't let myself lose in my first match."

"Hunter called me and told me what he's got in store for you. Think you're ready to go after a belt?"

"Well, to be honest, I don't really think I am. But I'm gonna try my hardest to get it. You might have to face me for it, eh?"

Randy laughed. "I think we know how that would go."

"Yep. A couple of punches, maybe a sleeper hold, then the MKO, 1, 2, 3. Simple and clean."

"I think you meant **R**KO."

"You come up with a finisher?"

"Yep. You'll experience it first-hand come early next year."

Matthew laughed. "I'd like to see you try."

"Anyway, I'm sure you'll do the same to the Hurricane next week."

"Damn straight!"

"I'll see ya next week, bro. Take care."

"Bye, Randy."

Randy couldn't help but feel better. Talking to Matthew always lifted any sort of emotional burden or stress. He put the cell phone down and walked off to the kitchen. Randy suddenly had a craving for pizza.

* * *

Matthew woke up to the sound of his hotel phone ringing. 

"A wake up call? I didn't ask for one."

He picked up and put the phone down to stop the ringing. A knock at the door happened, followed by a voice.

"Matthew, get some workout gear on. We're going to a gym."

Matthew looked over at the clock. _"5:30 AM?"_

"Be ready in the lobby in 10 minutes, kid."

"... Yeah, I'll be down there. _Something tells me this isn't going to be fun._"

Matthew met Hunter and Flair in the lobby. Hunter tossed Matthew an apple and the trio took off in a car to a local gym. When they got out of the car, a tall, muscular man met them at the door.

"Orton, this is Batista."

Matthew stood wide-eyed at this monster. "Uh ... hi ..."

Batista laughed. "How old are you, kid?"

"Seventeen."

Batista looked at Hunter, then stepped right in front of Matthew. "We're gonna take in this one?"

"Hey ..."

Hunter stepped in between the two. "He's a good kid. Didn't you see his match earlier this week?"

"I don't watch rookies."

Matthew started to narrow his eyes at Batista. Hunter looked down and saw Matthew ball his fists.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You two haven't known each other two minutes and you already want to rip each other apart? Fine. There is a ring inside that gym. Have fun. But you respect each other afterwards. No more of this crap."

Matthew and Batista nodded. The four of them went inside the gym; Hunter and Flair taking a seat at ringside and Matthew and Batista went into the locker room to change. It wasn't five minutes until Hunter started to hear loud banging. He rushed over to the locker room to see Matthew and Batista exchanging punches. Matthew kept getting knocked back into the lockers, but he would come back swinging. Hunter moved out of the way when Batista took Matthew by the head and dragged him to the ring. Throwing Matthew in the ring, Batista quickly climbed in and started to pummel on Matthew.

Hit by punch after punch, Matthew didn't see any alternative but a swift kick to the crotch. Batista reeled back, and Matthew climbed to his feet. He put Batista's head under his arm, and lifted Batista up for the MKO. However, Matthew couldn't manage to lift Batista fully, and tried again. Batista elbowed Matthew in the stomach, making him let go. Batista grabbed Matthew and positioned him for a Batista Bomb. He looked over at Hunter and Flair and lifted Matthew up high in the sky.

"... Oh ... crap ..."

Batista slammed Matthew down hard on the ground; the sound echoed throughout the gym. Batista went for a cover, and looked over at Hunter and Flair again.

**"WELL!?"**

Hunter and Flair looked at each other and HHH dove into the ring.

"1, 2, ..."

Matthew lifted a shoulder.

Flair gasped.

Hunter exclaimed, "Holy crap."

Batista stood straight up in silence. All the anger and hate had melted away from his face. Matthew crawled to the turnbuckle and pulled himself up. He gave Batista a look of resistance and rebellion.

"I don't ... go ... down that ... easily."

Matthew punched Batista as hard as he could in the stomach and put his head in position for the MKO. Yelling at the top of his lungs, Matthew lifted Batista in the air and slammed him down on his head with the MKO.

"1, 2, 3!"

Matthew got up and looked down at Batista. He extended his hand to help Batista up, which was accepted. The two men shook hands.

"I underestimated you."

"Damn right you did."

Batista, while holding the back of his head, looked over at Hunter. "Good choice."

* * *

_Now that Matt's impressed everyone, what will Triple H have in store for him? Will Matthew win his match against the Hurricane? And will how will Randy react upon seeing Matthew for the first time in weeks?_

_Hope you liked it. _


	7. Shades of Red

_#7, here we go. Keep coming with the reviews and alerts, guys; its part of what keeps me writing. _

_Matthew has his match with the Hurricane, and it doesn't turn out to be 100 great. Read and review, please!  
_

* * *

It was the night of the next SmackDown taping, and Matthew sat in the locker room Triple H had requested for both him and Batista. The Animal had already won his match earlier tonight against Matthew's old friend, John Cena. While watching one of the monitors backstage during the match, Matthew found himself rooting both of them on. It was ultimately a Batista Bomb that put Cena away after John attempted an F-U. Matthew congratulated Batista upon his return to their room, and started to suit up for his own match against the Hurricane. 

"Damn ...", Batista exclaimed holding his back, "... that Cena isn't exactly a pushover."

"You're telling me. That F-U is wicked, but its nothing compared to your Bomb."

Batista chuckled. "Be glad you won't have to go through it again."

_"I sure hope so"_, Matthew thought. "No kidding. But this Hurricane guy, what's the deal with him?"

"He's a high flier and really fast. Keep him off his feet and you should dominate."

"What's his finisher?"

"Shining Wizard. A running kick to the head."

Matthew nodded. He could take blows to the back pretty well, but a blow to the head might be the trigger for his first loss. Someone knocked at the door.

"Mr. Orton, your match is next!"

Batista slapped Matthew on the back. "Go get 'em, kid."

Matthew got up and started walking to the entrance ramp. On the way, he saw someone fall to their knees and scream in pain.

"Cena!"

Orton ran over to John and helped him up.

"I ... need the trainer ..."

Matthew supported Cena's weight and assisted John to the trainer's room.

"Don't ... you have a ... match?"

"I couldn't just leave you there on the ground. I don't leave friends behind."

**"STAND BACK! THERE'S A HURRICANE COMIN' THROUGH!"**

The Hurricane was making his way down to the ring, but Matthew still didn't want to leave Cena. It seemed like that Batista Bomb may have seriously injured Cena's lower back.

"Go on. I'll be okay."

Orton hesitated, but took off to the ring.

Reaching the curtain and looking at the Hurricane pose in the ring, Matt still couldn't believe this guy actually thought he was a superhero. He could certainly fly around the ring like one, but he wasn't Superman or Green Lantern. Matthew's music hit, and he came out to a round of cheers and whistles from the crowd. Matt pounded his chest a few times and pointed to fans holding signs he liked. The confidence Matt gained from his first match with Cena and from the impromptu match at the gym with Batista radiated from him.

The two men were finally in the ring, and the referee called for the bell to start the match. The Hurricane immediately charged at Matt, pushing him all the way back to the turnbuckle. He then unloaded with a flurry of punches and kicks to Matt's midsection, keeping the bigger man confined to the corner. The superhero knew his enemy's weak point: the less air Matt had, the harder it was for him to function. Hurricane rammed his shoulder into Matt's stomach repeatedly, making him sit down in the corner.

Matthew remembered the last time he was in this position. The next thing he saw were two boots coming straight at him. Reacting, he lifted his legs up to block; his right foot connected with his opponent's crotch. Hurricane fell in pain, and Matthew struggled to stand up. Dragging Hurricane to the center of the ring, Matthew went back and climbed up to the turnbuckle. In the back, Batista watched the monitor.

"Bad idea, Orton."

Once again, Matthew tried the somersault leg drop, launching himself high in the air. Luckily, the Hurricane didn't move and Matthew connected, his left leg landing across the neck and his right leg across the stomach. Matthew quickly went for the cover.

"1, 2, ..."

Hurricane kicked out, Matthew picked him up, and whipped him to the ropes. Hurricane ducked a clothesline and tried a drop kick, but Matthew stepped backwards, making him miss. Quickly, Matthew got his opponent in the powerbomb position. Batista raised an eyebrow as the Hurricane was lifted up in the sky and slammed down on the ground. What made Batista's jaw drop was Matthew lifting Hurricane up a second time. Another powerbomb echoed throughout the arena. The crowd went crazy when Matthew lifted up and slammed down the Hurricane a third time.

"That kid's got some incredible upper body strength", Batista thought. Both Matthew's high school background and the regimen that himself and Triple H put Matt through showed. The Hurricane could tell you from first-hand experience.

Matthew fell down from exhaustion; that triple powerbomb took a lot out of him. Hearing the referee's ten-count start, Matthew pulled himself up using the top rope. The Hurricane was doing the same on the other side of the ring, but he seemed to recover quickly. Matt looked up to see a green blur and a boot. Hurricane had connected with the Shining Wizard, and Matthew fell backwards over the top rope to the ground below. Batista started yelling at the monitor, the fans cheered loudly for the Hurricane, and Matthew ... well ... couldn't understand much of what he was seeing or hearing. The green superhero struggled to lift Matthew up and shoved his opponent's body back into the ring.

"1, 2, ..."

An incredible reaction emanated from the crowd as Matthew somehow summoned the willpower and awareness to kick out. He tasted something on his lip and touched it with his finger: blood. Staring at his red colored finger, Matthew didn't realize his opponent climbing the turnbuckle. Hurricane waited for Matthew to get up and launched himself with a flying cross body.

It didn't go as planned. Matthew caught Hurricane in midair and slammed him down on his knee for a backbreaker. While watching Hurricane writhe in pain, Matthew signaled to the crowd for the MKO. Matthew carefully watched his opponent struggle to get up, and then moved in for the kill once he was standing on two feet. The Hurricane sidestepped Matthew's kick and started delivering punches to the stomach and kicks to the knees. Matthew felt a hand around his neck; the Hurricane evidently was going to try to chokeslam him. Matthew looked confused and immediately delivered a knee to the stomach. This led to Matthew lifting up and slamming down the Hurricane on his head with the MKO.

"1, 2, 3!"

Blood trickling down his face and onto his chest, Matthew had his hand raised by the referee. To his surprise, some boos came from the crowd. Matthew gave a shocked look to the fans and extended his hand to his fallen opponent. From out of nowhere, Batista shot from behind Matthew and clotheslined the Hurricane hard to the ground just as Matthew pulled him up to his feet.

Shocked, Matthew got into Batista's face, pushing him back with both hands. The two stared at each other as the Hurricane got back up. The two seemed ready to assault Batista together when Matthew turned and clotheslined Hurricane down to the ground. The fans erupted in boos as Batista picked the superhero up and positioned him for a Batista Bomb. Matthew egged Batista on, making a thumbs down gesture as the Animal slammed the Hurricane down to the mat.

The lights went black and a flash of red light came from the entrance ramp. Kane, the Hurricane's tag team partner, started his trek down to the ring. Batista wasn't intimidated, but Matthew stood in horror, retreating behind Batista. Kane entered and Batista started delivering right hands to the Big Red Machine. Matthew slipped out of the ring and stole a steel chair from ringside. Kane had retaliated, sending Batista to the mat with a thunderous chokeslam. From behind, Matthew slammed the chair down on Kane's head. Kane didn't even flinch. Matthew dropped the steel chair in fright, and Kane grabbed Matthew by the throat. Positioning him correctly, he chokeslammed Matthew down onto the steel chair itself. Kane picked up the lifeless body of his partner and made his way out of the ring, leaving Matthew and Batista on the mat. The Animal slowly got to his feet and checked on Matthew.

"Orton? Orton, you okay?"

No response. Matthew was out cold. Batista looked up to see Kane and the Hurricane standing side-by-side. Kane raised his arms, and then moved them down, summoning his signature flames at each corner of the ring. Batista gave Kane one hell of a look; there would be hell to pay for this. Batista picked up Matthew and took him back to the locker room. He put Matt down on a bench and tried to revive him.

"Matthew! Come on man, wake up!" He gently slapped Matt's face to see if he could get a reaction. Batista breathed a sigh of relief when Matthew's eyes slowly opened.

"What ... what the hell ... happened?"

"You got a chokeslam onto a chair."

"Explains the reason why pain is shooting up my back." Matthew moaned through gritted teeth at the intense spasms he was feeling.

"At least you won. I'll get some ice to put on it."

He had won his match, but now he had a green superhero and big red monster pissed off at him. Matthew sensed that this wasn't over.

* * *

Randy popped a big smile as he watched Matthew hit the MKO on the Hurricane and covered him for the three count. His brother had gone through another challenging match and came out on top. Randy also appreciated the fact that Matthew hadn't made any enemies yet. 

He thought so too soon.

Randy saw Batista running down the ramp and into the ring, clotheslining the Hurricane back down to the mat. Matthew shoved Batista back and the two stared each other down.

**"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"**, Randy shouted at the TV screen. Randy had thought Matthew decided against joining the group.

"Goddammit, Matthew, these guys are the **LAST** you want hunting you down!"

The Hurricane had made it to his feet and Randy thought the worst: they were going to team up and take down Batista. It was quite the opposite; Matthew had turned and knocked the Hurricane down to the mat.

Randy's head fell back on the couch in a sign of relief. He heard something hit the mat incredibly hard and guessed that the Hurricane had received a Batista Bomb. Randy heard something else that was really loud; an explosion rang out and Kane's music started to play. Randy sat back up and watched as Kane chokeslammed Batista to the ground. Matthew had snuck up behind Kane with a chair and smacked Kane in the head. Randy shook his head; it was going to take more than that to take Kane down. Matthew dropped the chair and Kane took him by the throat.

Randy stood up and shouted at the TV: **"NO!"** He couldn't do anything about it; Kane had slammed Matthew down on the steel chair. Randy's heart started to beat quickly and his breathing picked up. Matthew wasn't moving. Batista eventually got up and checked on him, but there was no response.

Running to his room, Randy picked up his cell phone and dialed his brother. Ring after ring, but no answer. Randy tried again with no success.

And then, the doorbell rang.

When Randy made it down the stairs, he saw his little brother embracing his mother; Triple H, Ric Flair, and Batista were close behind.

"Matthew!" Randy ran down the steps and hugged him with his one good arm.

Matthew screamed out in pain as Randy squeezed him. "Randy ... stop ... you're hurting me ..."

"Oh, crap, I'm sorry! I just saw your match and I got worried and I tried calling you and ..."

"Calm down, dude. Calm down. I'm right here."

Matthew lifted up his shirt to reveal that his midsection had been bandaged up. Randy could see a small part of a bruise uncovered by the bandage.

"And you're gonna be on RAW Monday?"

"Yeah. Against Kane and the Hurricane."

"In a **_HANDICAP MATCH?!_**"

"No ... Batista's gonna be my partner."

"I got his back, dude", Batista said.

Hunter chuckled from the little pun and Batista smiled.

Elaine spoke up. "You guys make yourselves at home and I'll get some drinks."

Matthew and Randy took Matt's stuff up to his room while Hunter, Flair, and Batista sat down in the living room. Matthew sat down on the bed, his back still aching from Randy's hug.

"How's your shoulder?"

"Much better now. I can move around some, but I still can't straighten it out fully. Doctor says I'll be able to walk around without the sling in three months."

"Good. Good."

"It must suck having Kane on your bad side."

Matthew laughed. "Yeah ... it sucks having to look over your shoulder every minute or so. I thought Kane was going to be behind every door or in some dark corner."

"Batista was with you the whole time. You shouldn't have been worried."

"Heh, it's not that simple. I remember when Kane debuted at Bad Blood back in the early 90s. I was twelve years old. Can you picture seeing that monster when you're that young? I was terrified. I rooted for the Undertaker every time they had a match together." Matthew looked down at the floor. "The fear still hasn't left me."

Randy got quiet. He knew what it was like to be scared when you were young. For the first couple of years after Matthew disappeared, he would sleep with his mom and dad for fear of someone taking him away as well. When Randy turned ten years old, his dad told him that he couldn't sleep with them anymore. That night, Randy didn't get any sleep as he huddled in a corner of his room furthest away from the door and any windows. Eventually, he got used to sleeping in his own room, but he always locked the door, closed the window, and braced something against the door so no one could get in. It was still a habit of his to check and re-check the doors and windows of a room he slept in. Randy looked back up at Matthew and said, "I won't let him lay a finger on you, Matt."

Matthew looked at Randy and grinned. "Thanks." Matt wiped away a tear and got up to get a tissue from the dresser. "Now what about this RKO you told me about?"

"That's a surprise. I'm gonna save the first one for you."

Matthew shook his head and laughed.

"What? It'll be easy to surprise you. Remember that night in San Antonio? I made you black out with a sleeper hold."

"Yeah, yeah, I remember."

"I'll remind you anyway."

Randy quickly had his good arm around Matthew's neck, squeezing the air from his little brother's neck. Matthew noticed that this hold was considerably weaker than the one he was under in San Antonio, probably from Randy's inability to use his other arm for leverage. Matthew elbowed Randy in the gut, causing the grip on his neck to loosen. Matt then lifted Randy's arm above his neck and quickly spun around so Randy couldn't try again.

"That was weak! You're getting rusty, Randy."

"Only because of this damn shoulder."

"Tell ya what. This one won't count. Once you get your arm back, you can try again. I'll still break free though."

"Fat chance! You'll never break out of my sleeper hold when I'm good and healthy."

"It'll happen. Trust me."

"The RKO will knock you out every time, just like my sleeper."

"So it's a submission?"

"Well ... no." Randy decided to keep his mouth shut to keep Matthew from figuring out what the RKO was. "So ... why did you make the decision to go against the fans?"

Matthew knew Randy would ask this. "Heh ... I got a little jealous. They were cheering for that green superhero wannabe more than me and I didn't think he deserved it."

"Whoa ... a little cocky there, eh?"

"Nothing too different from you! You think the whole RAW fan base should keep your injured shoulder on their "Top Worry" list!"

"Well ... they should! They know how much they want to see this body in action again."

"You should have heard the whistling the girls were doing when I made my entrances." Matthew flexed his arms. "I'm a sexy boy."

Randy laughed in defiance. Matthew narrowed his eyes and threw the tissue box straight at Randy, bopping him in the head.

Hunter's voice echoed through the upstairs halls. "Randy! Matthew! Come down here!"

The two brothers raced each other down the hall and down the stairs, Matthew edging out Randy to the couch.

Flair laughed and rolled his eyes. "You're still kids ..."

Hunter took control of the conversation. "Ok. I thought about this while watching Matt's second match. For now, we're not going to reveal our hand. Ric will be my manager and, with the way things are going now, Dave and Matthew will tag up. Randy, when you come in, we'll formally come out onstage and assert our dominance over RAW. I'll have the World Heavyweight Championship, Dave and Matthew will have the World Tag Team Championship, and Randy will have the Intercontinental Championship."

Matthew and Randy looked at each other and smiled. Randy was especially happy because previously, Hunter didn't have any plans for him to hold any title at all. His only disappointment was not being Matt's tag partner, but he knew that Batista and Matt would make an awesome team.

Flair spoke up. "I'm going to be backstage with Bischoff, making sure each of you gets the matches that are best for all of us. As a matter of fact, I'm gonna see if I can get Bischoff to make the match for you two ..." Flair pointed at Batista and Matthew. "... for the Tag Team Championship."

Matthew's eyes widened. _"Only my third match and I'm getting a title shot?"_

"It's not a guarantee since it's so close to Sunday, but I'll try my hardest. But if not on Sunday, then on RAW for sure."

Matthew and Batista shook hands, and then Matthew took his turn in the conversation.

"Have you thought of a name for us?"

Hunter paused for a moment. "Yeah, and I want to run it by you guys. I figured since we have the past, Ric; the present, me; and the future, you, Randy, and Dave, of the WWE, we'll call ourselves ... Evolution".

* * *

_Well, the little Orton has turned heel and paid the price for it. Hunter has basically crafted the future for Randy and Matthew, but how will Randy and Matthew control their own destiny? Will Flair's efforts give Batista and Matthew a title shot at Unforgiven? And will Kane and the Hurricane exact more revenge?_

_Stay tuned! _


	8. Premonition

_Last time, Matthew defeated the Hurricane, but at a price: Kane came out and assaulted both Batista and Matthew with chokeslams. Once back at the Orton home, Triple H made the group official, forming Evolution._

_Now, Matthew wrestles with the dilemma of whether or not he actually can live up to the challenge of being in the WWE, this time after something personal becomes known to everyone else. Read and review, please!_

* * *

Matthew sat at the dining room table eating waffles for breakfast. He could hear Flair shouting into his cell phone at Eric Bischoff, trying to get the match for the World Tag Team Championship at Unforgiven. From the volume of Flair's voice, Matt could tell that he wasn't having much success. Footsteps came from the stairwell, and Matthew saw Randy, Triple H, and Batista walk down. 

"You're up early", Randy observed.

"I couldn't sleep."

Randy knew why, but didn't say anything. He didn't know how Hunter would react to ...

"Why not?", Hunter asked.

"... Bad dreams. A couple of them."

"What about?"

Randy stood back, hoping that Matthew wouldn't say anything.

"Kane."

Matthew could see Batista smirk out of the corner of his eye; he glared at Dave before responding. "I've been horrified of Kane since I was a little kid. That's why I ... uh ... kinda hid behind Batista when he came to the ring on SmackDown."

Hunter looked blankly at Matthew, then erupted in laughter. Matthew chuckled uneasily.

"You're ... you're _AFRAID _of Kane?"

"I was twelve when I first saw him. Give me a break."

Batista was now laughing just as hard as Hunter was. Matthew would give anything to fling his waffles at both Hunter and Dave. Randy could see Matthew's hand grab his plate and reached out to stop him when Flair walked into the room and slammed his cell phone down on the table, grabbing everyone's attention.

"That little bastard Bischoff doesn't think you two deserve a shot at the titles."

Dave and Matthew looked at each other.

"Its mainly the kid. He recognizes Batista's ability but Matthew has only had two matches. That's not enough. However, if you two can win your match on Monday, you'll be entered into the hunt."

Matthew finally felt better for the first time that morning. He would have a chance to prove himself in the tag team division.

"You'll have to beat Kane and the Hurricane, Christian and Chris Jericho, and Booker T and Goldust. If you win all three matches, you'll be entered in a match for the titles at No Mercy in October."

That better feeling was washed away immediately by Flair's news. Batista didn't look fazed at all; Matthew felt like Dave had a better grasp on what it took to become a champion in this business.

Matthew abruptly said, "When do we leave for Los Angeles?"

Randy was confused. "You want to go to Unforgiven? I thought we were going to watch it here together."

His thoughts all over the place, Matthew slammed down his fork and stomped his way upstairs to his room.

"What's his problem?", Hunter asked.

"I don't know." Randy decided to chase after Matt. Heading up the stairs, he found Matt's door locked.

"Matt, you okay?"

"No." Randy thought he could hear a sob.

"Let me in, man."

"Just go away."

Randy didn't move. He could hear footsteps on the other side of the door, which swung open to reveal Matthew with tears streaming down his face. Randy quickly walked in and locked the door behind him.

"Why are you crying? You're not having second thoughts again, are you?"

"This is going too fast for me. I've been in the WWE for two weeks and I've already got one hell of a burden on my shoulders. I just want to stay here with you until your shoulder heals. Then we'll both join Hunter, Flair, and Dave at the same time."

Randy looked at Matthew like he was stupid. "You know Hunter's not gonna like that. He saw that you are going to be a successful athlete in this business and all he's trying to do is elevate you to the top. Staying here with me is like shoving that offer into his face. You'll never get another chance like this again."

Matthew looked out the window deep in thought. He knew that he could still have a successful career if he stayed at home with Randy, but he would be separated from him once they returned to the ring. Triple H would most likely refuse his re-entry into Evolution; Matt may even end up in a rivalry with his brother. He knew that a rivalry was inevitable, but Matt wanted to prolong it happening as long as he could. Just as suddenly as he left his waffles, Matthew wiped the tears off his face, got up, and started down the stairs. Randy followed close behind with a smile on his face.

"I'm going to watch Unforgiven here with Randy. I'll meet you three in Los Angeles Monday afternoon."

Hunter nodded. "Fair enough. Dave will stay here with you so you can have a workout partner. Flair and I are going to pack up and leave later today. You guys don't slack off."

Matthew smiled and nodded in return. "I won't disappoint you."

"Good. Can we have breakfast now?"

Matthew laughed. "I'll fix some eggs."

The five men heartily ate a breakfast of toast, eggs, and bacon. Afterwards, Flair and HHH packed their suitcases and loaded them up for the trip to Los Angeles. Flair had a match against Chris Jericho and HHH had to defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Rob Van Dam. After cleaning up the dining room, Matt, Dave, and Randy jogged over to the track Matt and Randy trained at. Randy did all he could with his injured shoulder: mainly jogging slowly around the track and climbing up and down the stairs in the stands. Batista and Matt everything Randy did, but at double the intensity. Matthew even managed to pull out hurdles from the supply shed. Batista had a bit of trouble clearing them, even tumbling down to the ground a few times. Matthew couldn't help but laugh; he eventually would regret it. The track was Matthew's area of expertise. Dave had the gym as his forte. Batista pushed Matthew both to and beyond his limits, stacking weight after weight in several different exercises. Randy sat back and used handweights with his one good arm; he couldn't help but be a bit jealous to the fact that Matthew and Dave were the ones in the spotlight and not him as well.

The afternoon passed by quickly and soon it was Saturday night. Matthew and Dave were sparring in the ring; Randy stood at ringside acting as the referee. Matt had Batista in the powerbomb position, but couldn't pull it off; his arms and legs were too sore to lift much of anything. He fell back against the ropes and Dave put Matthew in the same exact position. Sensing this, Matt did all he could to escape, but to no avail. Randy cringed when Matthew hit the mat; he hoped that he never had to experience a Batista Bomb himself. Batista covered, and Randy counted to three.

"Heh ... not this time ... Matthew."

"No ... fair ... I'm not ... fresh."

Batista helped Matthew to his feet, and the two climbed out of the ring and walked into the locker room. After changing, the three walked back to the house and took a well deserved rest. Dave went up to his guest room to turn in for the night. Matthew and Randy remained in the living room, flipping through the channels.

"What exactly happened in your dream last night?"

Matthew hesitated before speaking. "In the dream, I was getting into bed. I had seen the closet door move a little; I didn't think anything of it because I had the window cracked open and it was windy that night. I closed my eyes until I heard something bang against the nightstand. Looking at it, Kane's mask was right in front of my face. He grabbed me by the neck and slammed me into the mirror. Then I woke up. I went back to sleep, but I kept having the same dream over and over again. I didn't go back to sleep and decided to have breakfast early."

"Wow ... you really **ARE** scared of Kane, aren't you?"

"... Terrified."

"Well, then you're gonna have to beat him."

Matthew looked over at Randy. "I know. I just can't do it alone."

"You're gonna have to."

"I can't."

Randy shook his head. "When I was a kid in elementary school, I had a bully who kept picking on me. One day, he punched me in the face and broke my nose. I had a couple of friends who would stay around me so he wouldn't be able to come after me again. But when I was alone, he somehow was able to find me and beat me up. It wasn't until I stood up to him myself and punched him back in the nose that he started to leave me alone."

Matthew took a long look at Randy.

"You made that up, didn't you?"

"... yes."

Matthew erupted in laughter. "Thanks. I needed that."

"How do you know me so well?"

"I have no clue. Maybe its just because we're brothers."

A small silence filled the room until Matthew broke it.

"When I get the chance, I will ask Bischoff for a one-on-one match against Kane."

"Only do it when you're ready. Otherwise, you'll get your ass handed to you."

Matthew grinned. "Shut up and give me the remote control."

The two brothers watched television together until they fell asleep on the couch.

* * *

It was another Monday night. Randy Orton had just hit the RKO on somebody and covered him for the three-count. The crowd erupted in boos, but Triple H, Batista, Ric Flair, and Matthew Orton stormed the ring to celebrate Randy's win. He held the World Heavyweight Championship belt high in the air; it was his first successful title defense. Every member of Evolution embraced Randy, especially Matthew, who hugged his brother like it was the first time they saw each other. Batista put Randy on his shoulders and Triple H gave him a thumbs up. Matthew climbed up to the turnbuckle and raised his own Intercontinental belt high in the air. Evolution had all the titles on RAW again; this time, HHH was the only one without a belt. Matthew jumped back down to the mat and turned around to face the group. 

Matthew looked on in confusion as he saw Hunter turn the thumbs up into a thumbs down. Batista dropped Randy onto his back and Hunter started to pound on Randy's head. The younger Orton looked on in horror as both Flair and Batista had a turn at punching Randy repeatedly. Dave delivered a Batista Bomb and Hunter hit the Pedigree. Flair locked on the Figure Four, and Randy writhed in pain on the canvas. After a good while, Hunter and Batista held Randy up and called Matthew over. Matt felt himself move independent of his own will, grabbing the belt off his shoulder and ramming it into the face of his brother. Randy fell to the ground and Matthew held his Intercontinental belt up, now stained red from the gash on Randy's forehead. Hunter picked up the World Heavyweight Championship belt and Flair and Batista took the World Tag Team belts off their waists. The four men stood tall over the fallen Orton, each of them holding a belt high in the air.

Matthew couldn't understand why this was happening. He tried his hardest to restrain himself from hitting Randy, but his efforts amounted to nothing. Matthew looked down at his brother and signaled for the MKO. The boos from the fans resonated across the arena as Matthew lifted Randy up and slammed his head down into the mat. Matt stood over his brother's motionless body and yelled, **"YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT US!"**.

**"YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT US!"**

**"YOU ARE NOTH..."**

"Matt, wake up!"

Matthew opened his eyes to see Batista and Randy standing over him. Randy had a concerned look on his face.

"Another bad dream?"

"... Yeah. Something like that."

"What was it about?"

Matt started to speak, but stopped. "I'd ... I'd rather not talk about it."

Dave and Randy looked at each other, shrugged, and walked into the kitchen, where they were preparing the snacks for watching Unforgiven.

"What time is it?"

"Its almost 5:00 PM. You've been asleep all day", Batista replied.

"I ... I was exhausted after yesterday. I couldn't..."

"You're cool, kid. Don't worry about it. Take this."

Dave tossed Matthew an orange which the young Orton consumed quickly; he was incredibly hungry. After Matthew downed another orange, an apple, and a glass of milk, he went upstairs to take a shower. Randy stayed downstairs, confused about what his little brother was saying in his sleep.

_"'You're nothing without us.' Who was he talking to?"_

Before he knew it, Matthew had come downstairs, hair wet and wearing an old-style D-Generation X t-shirt. Batista and Randy looked at Matthew and laughed.

"What? I always wear this when I watch a pay-per-view."

"Come early next year, that'll turn into an Evolution t-shirt."

Matthew smiled. "No doubt about that."

Batista cocked his head to the side and listened to a sound coming from upstairs. "Dammit, that's my cell phone." He put down what he was doing and ran upstairs.

Matt took over what Batista's task was and tried to avoid making eye contact with Randy. He didn't want to retell the events of ...

"Who were you talking to in your dream?"

Matt took a deep breath and looked down at the kitchen counter. "This dream was more disturbing than the dreams I've been having about Kane. It was a Monday night on RAW and you had just defended the World Heavyweight title."

Randy's eyebrows shot up. "Defended?"

"Yeah. I didn't catch who it was, but you kicked their ass. We all came to the ring and celebrated your victory. Flair and Dave had the Tag Team titles and I had the Intercontinental title."

"That's awesome! What makes this dream disturbing?"

"You're forgetting the one person who doesn't have a belt."

"Hunter?"

"Yep. After we all gave you a hug, Batista lifted you onto his shoulders. You held up the belt high in pride and triumph and Hunter gave you a thumbs up. I had climbed onto the turnbuckle and raised my belt in the air too. When I had jumped down, Hunter had his thumb down at you."

Randy kept listening with a surprised look on his face.

"Batista dropped you down on your back. Hunter, Flair, and Dave had all taken turns giving you brutal punches to the head. A Batista Bomb, the Pedigree, the Figure Four ... everything. I stood there frozen; I didn't know what the hell was going on. And then, I grabbed the belt off my shoulder and smacked you across the face with it. It made you bleed, and I held it up with a smile on my face like I was a hunter celebrating his kill. Then ..."

"What? What happened?"

"I gave you the MKO. I stood over you and started shouting, 'You are nothing without us!'. I guess that's when you woke me up."

Randy had a look of utter bewilderment on his face. Hunter would never turn his back on one of his own. He quickly realized how inaccurate that statement was.

Batista had come back downstairs, cell phone in hand.

"That was Hunter. He was just checking in on us."

Randy and Matthew seemingly ignored him and were looking at each other straight in the eye.

"Did I ... interrupt something?"

"No ... no, not at all. Matthew was just telling me a story from ... from when he was a little kid."

The three men sat down in the living room, anticipating the start of the pay-per-view. There were all kinds of snacks, everything from pizza and popcorn to apple slices and banana chips.

"I think we made more than enough for ourselves.", said Matthew.

"You'd be surprised how much we can chow down in a night, kid."

Matthew looked over at Batista and laughed.

The first match was one of importance for the tag team. Four of their opponents were participating: Goldust, Booker T, Christian, and Kane himself. It was an eight-man tag match, with Booker T, Goldust, and Kane working with Bubba Ray Dudley and Christian with Test, William Regal, and Lance Storm. Randy was the only one really enjoying the match; Dave and Matt were observing the styles of all four of their future opponents. Not surprisingly, Kane ended the match with a vicious chokeslam to Lance Storm. Matthew cringed when Storm hit the mat. Since seeing the video of himself being chokeslammed, Matt never felt the same towards the technique.

For the next match, everyone was cheering Ric Flair as he took on Chris Jericho. Despite the best shouting efforts of the three men, Flair submitted to the Walls of Jericho. Eddie Guerrero took on Edge in the next match. Dave, Randy, and Matt were able to enjoy both this match and the next because they were part of SmackDown and not RAW. Matthew was impressed with the sunset flip Eddie used to pin Edge.

"I don't get how those guys fly like they do."

"Some people just have a natural talent for it", Randy commented. "I'm surprised that you can pull off that somersault leg flip thing."

Matthew laughed. "I taught myself that. It took a lot of tries onto soft mats before I could get my momentum right."

Right as Matthew finished his sentence, Three Minute Warning came out to the ring to face Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo. The match was quick, Billy Gunn getting pinned with ease by Jamal.

This next match was the most important of the night. Hunter would defend his title against Rob Van Dam. RVD was getting the better of Triple H, using his arsenal of kicks and high flying moves to take down the champion. The "future" of Evolution watched as Ric Flair rushed down to the ring, sledgehammer in hand. While the referee was distracted, Flair smacked RVD in the back with that sledgehammer. Hunter capitalized, hit the Pedigree, and covered for the win. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; the "big gold belt" would stay in the group.

There were still three matches to go, but none of them concerned Evolution. As a result, Dave and Matt started to pack their luggage for the trip tomorrow morning to Los Angeles. The three men retreated to their rooms and fell asleep, with the exception of Matthew. He stayed awake for quite some time, staring at the ceiling.

"Everything is going to be fine. Tomorrow, you're going to get in that ring and face your fear. Kane is not going to scare you."

With that in mind, Matthew closed his eyes and nodded off.

* * *

Randy and his father rode with Matt and Dave to the airport early the next morning. As they checked in their luggage, the tag team said their farewells, Dave shaking hands and Matthew giving hugs.

"You'll do great out there."

"I know I will."

Randy smiled as Matt and Dave walked onto the plane. It took off soon afterwards and, in about a couple of hours, Evolution's tag team arrived in Los Angeles. They soon met up with their stablemates, exchanging welcomes.

"You guys ready?"

Matthew eagerly answered. "No big red freak is going to stop me."

Hunter smiled. "Fear erased in one night, eh?"

"Not erased, eradicated."

Batista was surprised by Matthew's greatly increased confidence. "The kid's pumped up. We'll do fine."

Triple H and Flair led Batista and Orton to the locker room, where the tag team warmed up, stretched, and changed into their ring gear. The group talked over strategy, and before they knew it, the Hurricane's voice rang out in the arena ...

**STAND BACK! THERE'S A HURRICANE COMIN' THROUGH!**

Kane's fire explosion soon followed and the two partners made their way to the ring, coming out to a huge explosion of cheers and applause from the fans.

"The following contest is schedule for one fall. Making their way to the ring at a combined weight of 539 pounds, the team of the Hurricane and Kane!"

Watching the monitor, Matthew laughed at the differences between the two; the Hurricane seemed to jump all over the place, full of energy. Kane just walked at a steady pace.

"How the hell did these two pair up?"

"You've got me, kid."

In a show of unity, Batista and Orton walked to the ring together, using Batista's theme music.

"And their opponents, at a combined weight of 521 pounds, the team of Matthew Orton and Batista!"

The reaction from the audience was equal in magnitude, but they were booing instead of cheering. Not letting that get him down, Matthew entered the ring first and immediately got into Kane's face.

In a low and hoarse voice, Kane said, "Stand down, rookie."

"Screw you, freak."

That's all it took for Kane to explode in rage, delivering repeated right hands to Matt's head. He backed Orton into the corner and unleashed punch after punch, in the style of his own brother, the Undertaker. Matthew blocked one of the punches and turned Kane into the corner, using the ropes to deliver kicks to Kane's stomach. Walking to the opposite corner, Matthew charged at Kane and leaped, hitting a splash. Kane immediately walked out of the corner, showing little effect of the splash. Matthew hit a drop toe hold to trip Kane up, then ricocheted off the rope with a leg drop across Kane's neck. The Big Red Machine sat up right away, but Matthew kept up the pressure. Standing dropkicks, russian legsweeps, nothing seemed to keep Kane down.

Already fatigued, Matthew tagged in Batista; power moves were going to be the trick to keep Kane down, and Batista was the man to do it. Batista immediately set Kane up for the Batista Bomb, but Kane reared the back of his neck into Batista's crotch, sending them both down to the floor. Kane sat up and tagged in the Hurricane, who started to use the same set of techniques on Batista as Matthew did on Kane. Soon enough, Batista was on one knee, gasping for breath. Matthew recognized this as the set-up for the Shining Wizard, and pulled the Hurricane over the top rope when he bounced off the ropes near him for momentum. Kane dropped off the apron and walked around the ring into another dropkick from Matthew; this one sent Kane backward into the ring post, putting Kane on one knee. Seizing the opportunity and stealing a page out of the Hurricane's playbook, Matthew delivered a Shining Wizard of his own to the side of Kane's head. With his nemesis down for the moment, Orton tossed the Hurricane back into the ring, where Batista slammed him down to the mat with a spinebuster. Matthew climbed to the turnbuckle in preparation for the somersault leg drop, but a hand grabbed his ankle, sending him down onto the turnbuckle. Kane had gotten back up in time to stop Matthew from leaping onto the Hurricane. Dave ran to the ropes and clotheslined Kane off the apron, but turned around right into a Shining Wizard from the Hurricane.

"1, 2, ..."

Matthew recovered from being racked on the turnbuckle and interrupted the count. The referee forced him to his own corner, while the Hurricane tagged Kane back in. Batista, with a second wind, quickly crawled to his corner and tagged in Matthew. Batista rolled out of the ring while Matthew met Kane in the middle of the ring, delivering hard punches to the stomach. Kane bent over in pain, and Matthew set him up for the triple powerbomb. He was successful for the first one, slamming Kane down as hard as he could. However, he couldn't muster the strength to lift Kane back up for the second. Matthew let go, but Kane stayed down. He decided to go up to the turnbuckle again, climbing it slowly. By the time he balanced himself and turned around, Kane had gotten up and wrapped his hand around Matthew's throat.

Orton froze. _"I'm going to die."_

Kane lifted Matthew up from the turnbuckle and slammed Matthew down onto the mat with a loud thud.

"1, 2, 3!"

"Here are your winners, the Hurricane and Kane!"

Batista crawled back into the ring to interrupt the count, but he was too late. Kane then picked Batista up one more time and chokeslammed him down onto Matthew's body. The winners left the ring, leaving their opponents knocked out. Batista and Matthew Orton would not be getting a World Tag Team Championship title shot.

* * *

_Ouch. Matthew loses in his RAW debut. What will Triple H have to say about Matthew's reckless tactics on the turnbuckle? How will Randy react upon seeing the match? And what does this do to the title arrangement Triple H set at the Orton household?_

_R&R_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	9. Tension Rising

_That last one drained a lot out of me. Hope you enjoy this one._

_Matthew and Batista lost their match against Kane and the Hurricane, which could have propelled them to a match at No Mercy for the World Tag Team Championship. Now, Triple H reacts to Matthew's mistakes, Matthew runs into someone else he never expected, and Randy tries to help Matthew any which way he can. Read and review, please!_

* * *

Batista marched into the locker room, livid that he and Matthew were defeated. He started flipping tables over and smashing his fist into locker doors. Matthew cautiously staggered into the room behind him, not wanting to become the object upon which Dave unleashed his anger upon. Matt sat down on a bench and put his head in his hands; he had just wrecked their chances at having a shot for the Tag Team titles. Now he knew exactly why Dad discouraged those types of moves. Matt jumped when Batista's arm whizzed by his head and smashed a door right next to him.

"Dave, I..."

"**Just shut up, kid.**"

Matthew didn't say another word. The look that Dave gave him right then scared him more than his dream about Kane the previous night. He slowly grabbed his bag and made his way to the shower. If Batista got this angry, he didn't want to know how Triple H was going to handle this. After cleaning up and refreshing himself, Matthew walked out and gulped when he saw Hunter talking with Batista. HHH turned around and approached Orton.

Hunter took a deep breath before saying anything. In a serious, yet calm voice, he said, "Kid, you're still a rookie. I really can't hold my expectations super high for you. For now, I want you to go after Kane. You won't be teaming with Dave anymore."

Matthew felt rejected as he saw Batista smiling behind Hunter.

"It'll be Flair and Batista going for the Tag titles. Ric has been itching to get back into title contention, and I can't say no to him."

"... What will I do now?"

"Challenge Kane to a one-on-one match. Show him that tonight was a fluke."

Matthew hesitated before saying, "I'll do anything to prove myself to you again."

"Kid, listen. You aren't going to win every single match of yours. Even I know that. To prove yourself to me, you don't have to win a match. You have to give me 120 percent out there in the ring, whether it be win or lose. As long as you can show me that you have the focus and the passion to be in this business, you're alright in my book."

Matthew looked up at Hunter for the first time, feeling much better after what he had just heard.

"Go out and find him. Then tell Bischoff what you want. If he doesn't say yes, then talk to me. I'll smack some sense into him."

Orton was halfway out the door as Hunter was finishing his sentence. Matthew wanted to prove himself to Hunter, Flair, and Batista, but he especially wanted to prove himself to Randy. Before Randy separated his shoulder, Matthew would watch Randy's matches while he was training at home. He couldn't help but admire how his big brother performed in the ring, and Matt wanted to emulate that to a tee. Before long, Matthew seemed lost in the corridors and hallways of the arena. He turned one corner and slammed right into someone. Looking up, he saw that red mask he had been scared of for years.

"Watch it."

"I want another match."

"We'd be happy to drive you two into the mat again."

"Not a tag match. Just me and you."

Kane cocked his head. Surely this little kid didn't know what he was getting into.

"To be honest, I was scared of you, Kane. Ever since I saw you debut, I had been terrified. But since you attacked me, I became determined to beat your ass to the ground. Pick your match. I don't care what it is."

It didn't take two seconds for Kane to spit out "Steel Cage".

"You're on."

Matthew stared right into the eyes of the Big Red Machine before Kane turned around walked into a dark room.

_What the hell did I just get myself into?_

Matt wandered around the arena for a while before he found his way back to the locker room. Before opening the door, he remembered what Hunter told him and went off to Bischoff's office. While searching around, Matthew was reminded of his first week with the WWE; he ran into many of the Superstars he watched as a kid as well as more of the new talent in the business. He was greeted by two of the Divas: Trish Stratus and Victoria. Matt and Jeff Hardy waved at him and even the Big Show acknowledged Matthew. He even got an autograph from Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer, two of his favorites from ECW.

Before long, Matthew had found the door to Bischoff's office and knocked on it.

"Come in!"

He opened the door to see Bischoff laughing.

"Kid, you had your chance. You're not getting a second chance for a Tag Team title shot."

"That's not what I want."

Bischoff smiled and cocked his head in a curious manner. "Do tell."

"I want a match with Kane. Steel cage. Next week."

"There would be nothing that would please me more than to grant you that match, but Kane and the Hurricane are already scheduled to defend their Tag belts against Christian and Chris Jericho next week."

"Then the week afterwards."

"Done. You're off next week. Rest up, kid. You're gonna need it."

Matthew nodded and walked back to the locker room. Upon opening the door, Triple H, Flair, and Batista all looked at him, expecting some sort of statement.

"Two weeks from now. Steel cage."

The three men were a bit taken aback by this news. Matthew smiled when he looked at all of their faces.

"I'm ready for this."

Hunter smiled and went over to Matthew to pat him on the back. "That's the kind of backbone you need to succeed in this business."

* * *

On the drive to the airport the next morning, Matthew noticed that he had several missed calls from Randy on his cell phone. He winced when realizing this; Randy would certainly gripe at him upon arriving back at the house. Batista, Hunter, and Flair were all sitting next to him in the terminal; it had felt funny sitting there in the airport watching his mentors getting approached for autographs. Matt hoped that at least one person would recognize him. After the crowd dissolved, Matthew felt left out until he heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, Matthew!"

Matt bolted straight up in his chair, his eyes darting around to find the voice. At the other end of the hallway, Matt saw one of his longtime high school pals, Eric Barringer. Getting up, the two shook hands and embraced.

"Eric!? What are you doing here?"

"I flew up here to visit my aunt and uncle after graduating, but I should be asking you the same question! Dude, what happened to you? You just disappeared off the face of the earth!"

"Well ... its a long story. I dropped out of school to pursue a new life with my brother."

Eric looked confused. "Brother? You don't have a brother."

Matt laughed and shook his head. "I thought I didn't either. But I ran into him when I went to that SmackDown taping I won tickets for back in April."

"And you just ... knew ... you two were brothers?"

"Actually ... yeah. He showed me a picture of myself when I was little. Looked exactly like me. And I look a lot like him."

"So ... wait a minute. You were adopted?"

"Yep. I asked about how I got to where I was, but they didn't have any answers for me. When I wanted to join Ra ... my brother on the road and to meet my real family, they had no objections and let me go. He and Dad helped me get a job and I get to travel the country with some good friends now. Sometimes, its a pain in the back, but its freakin' awesome overall."

"What do you do?"

"You're not gonna believe it, but ...

_**"NO WAY!!!"**_

Matthew looked as Eric finally realized who he was standing next to. Eric quickly took out a pen and a notebook from his carry-on bag and asked Dave, Hunter, and Ric for an autograph. While the three men took turns signing it, Eric resumed the conversation.

"Now what did you say your job was?"

Matthew chuckled. "Well, you've already met three of my co-workers."

Eric looked stunned and stared blankly at Matthew. Seeing his friend nod, a huge smile developed on Eric's face. "You're a **_pro wrestler!?_** No way, dude. No freakin' way. And you've got Batista, Ric Flair, and ... **Triple H** as your friends? **DUDE!** Wait ... then who is your brother?"

"Randy Orton."

"Orton? Like Cowboy Bob Orton?"

"The very man."

"You're his son?" Eric quickly put two and two together. "Dude, I get to train under your dad!"

For once, Matthew was the one who was shocked. "Dad's gonna train you?"

"Yep. All the way in St. Louis."

"You're on _this_ flight?"

"Seat 24A."

Matthew looked down at his ticket. "Seat 24B."

"**DUDE!**"

"Heh ... you haven't changed a bit. _Wow. What are the chances of this happening?_"

Matthew's brain was boggled, but he could draw one conclusion: he was incredibly lucky. Finding his real family, becoming a WWE Superstar, Triple H taking him under his wing, and running into his best friend from high school, who was also going to train and join him in the WWE ... what else could possibly happen?

"Wait ... so you haven't watched SmackDown for the last two weeks?"

"Yeah, I did. But ... I didn't recognize a 'Matthew Orton'. I left the room to go get a snack. I didn't think the matches would be worth watching."

Eric regretted saying that just as Matthew got up into his face.

"Take ... that ... back."

"Dude, calm down. I ... I ... didn't know that was you."

Matthew grabbed Eric's shirt collar and pulled his friend closer to him.

"Matthew ... stop ... you're freaking me out."

Snapping from his trance, Matt let go of Eric. "I'm ... I'm sorry. I just kinda ... snapped." Matt looked over at Triple H, who was grinning from ear to ear. "This whole Kane ordeal ... its kinda warped my mind."

"Oh ... that's right. You lost ..." Eric stopped talking before he got himself hurt.

**"FLIGHT 912 TO ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. PLANE IS NOW BOARDING!"**

"Don't worry. I'll kick your ass when we get in the ring one-on-one."

Eric laughed. "Heh ... take it easy on me." Taking a look at a smiling Triple H, Eric thought to himself, _"What have these guys done to him?"_

The five guys walked onto the plane, stuffed their carry-ons into the overhead compartment, and sat down for the trip to St. Louis. Eric, still uneasy from earlier, started a conversation.

"So ... how did you do in your first two matches?"

"My debut was against John Cena."

"The rapper dude?"

"Yeah. He hit me with the F-U, but I kicked out. Then I hit him with the MKO and got the three count."

"MKO?"

"You'll see one day. Maybe even on you."

"And your other match?"

"Against the Hurricane. At first, I thought it would be a piece of cake. I admit; the guy's one hell of an opponent. But I got the better of him after he tried to chokeslam me."

"He tried to chokeslam you?"

"Yeah. Go figure. And then this previous match ... I messed up a hell of a lot. I kept going up to the turnbuckle when I shouldn't have, and I got a chokeslam from hell for it."

Eric didn't want to say anything else for fear of making Matthew mad again. Something had definitely changed about him. Matt wasn't the easy going, calm, and humorous person like he was in high school. He was more aggressive, arrogant, and hot-headed. Was grouping with Triple H doing this to Matthew? Eric thought about this as he nodded off to sleep. Matthew noticed Eric snoring and decided to fall asleep as well. An extra hour or two of sleep could help.

* * *

Randy was annoyed that Matthew hadn't answered his cell phone. Randy wanted to talk to his little brother; he knew Matt would be pissed off at himself and Randy wanted to make sure Matt didn't do anything stupid. He was also getting tired of the same routine every week: Matt and the gang would come home the morning after RAW, stay for two or three days, then take off to the next town. Luckily for him, RAW would be in St. Louis in two weeks; Randy could see his bro in the ring in person and spend more time with him. Laying back in a recliner, Randy started to nod off, but heard the doorbell ring. Opening the door, he saw his brother, Hunter, Ric, Dave, and someone he didn't recognize.

"Hey, bro. You doin' okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Pumped up for next week already."

Randy could sense it coming. "What match do you have next week?"

"I don't have one at all. But Kane does."

"... What are you planning?"

"Kane and his little superzero wannabe are losing their titles."

Hunter interrupted. "He's already playing mind games with Kane. That's the kind of attitude we need."

Randy nodded, but he was worried on how Matthew's personality was changing. Turning to Matt, he asked, "Who's that other guy?"

"Oh, jeez, I forgot to introduce you two. Randy, this is my best friend from high school, Eric Barringer."

"Eric, nice to finally meet you." The two shook hands. "We've talked to each other on the phone already. He'll be staying in the guest house out back."

While the others were chatting it up, Eric whispered to Randy, _"Hey, could I talk to you in private? Its about Matthew."_

Randy nodded and the two went upstairs to Randy's room. Eric was the first to speak up.

"I've known Matthew since sixth grade, and he's completely changed. When I told him why I didn't watch his first two matches on SmackDown, he ... he snapped and grabbed me by the collar. I thought he was going to slam me down or something."

"He _has _changed. When Matt comes home, he isn't his old self. The guys are really rubbing off on him."

"That's exactly what I thought. When he had me by the collar, I could see Triple H grinning. And there's more to the Kane story he hasn't told you yet. He has a steel cage match against Kane on RAW in two weeks."

"_WHAT?_"

"He told me while on the plane ride here. I think he's getting way ahead of himself. I mean ... I'm not anywhere as skilled as he is, but I've known him long enough to know his limits. With Batista as a tag partner, he could do okay. But facing Kane alone ... in a steel cage ... yeah, right."

Randy stood wide-eyed, steaming. "Why didn't Matthew tell me this?"

"I don't know. He probably didn't want you to react ..."

Eric didn't finish his sentence; Randy was already out the door and heading down the stairs. Matthew was lounging on the couch in the living room, shoes and shirt off, completely oblivious to Randy rushing down the stairs.

"What the hell are you trying to pull, Matthew?"

"What are you talking about?'

"You didn't tell me about your steel cage match."

Matthew became silent and stood face to face with his older brother.

"... I don't have to tell you everything I do."

"When its a match as big as this, you could at least let me know about it!"

Eric had made it downstairs to see the two brothers in each other's face, looking like it was about to come to blows.

"Why are you so concerned about me? I'm almost eighteen years old; I can take care of myself!"

Eric looked down to see Randy ball his fist as he spoke. "You're still inexperienced, Matthew. You're taking this way too fast. You're getting too cocky and too arrogant. You need to **chill out**."

Eric's worst fears were realized when Matthew shoved Randy down to the ground. Triple H had just peeked his head into the room as Randy got up and chopped Matthew's chest hard, sending him against the fireplace brick wall. Matthew stumbled for a bit, and then charged right at Randy. Eric managed to catch Matthew before he slammed into Randy. Triple H came and held the older Orton back.

"**LET ME GO, ERIC! RANDY, I'M GOING TO TEAR YOU APART!**"

Eric saw no other choice to calm Matthew down; he wrapped his arm above Matthew's neck and delivered a reverse DDT to the berserk Orton. Instantly, Matthew sprung back up and stared Eric down. He kicked Eric in the stomach and started to execute the MKO. Triple H pulled Matthew off before he could complete it. Batista rushed into the room and helped Hunter restrain Matthew. Randy had already calmed down; the shooting pain in his shoulder had become his primary concern. Taking a long look at his crazed brother, Randy came to one conclusion ...

Matthew was going to have to learn a lesson the hard way.

_"If you want Kane, you can have him. For your sake, I hope he drives you into the ground."_

* * *

_Randy and Eric were right. Matthew has changed. How will the next two weeks play out? During Matthew's cage match, an unfortunate coincidence causes Matthew to appreciate Randy's intentions. _

_R&R_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	10. Interruption

_The action continues throughout this chapter. We begin to see the severe attitude shifts of Matthew affect who he truly is. Can Randy turn his brother's demeanor back to what he used to be? Oh, and one more thing._

_Get ready for a major change in tone for this story. _

_Hope you enjoy it! Please, please, read and review!  
_

* * *

Matt sat by himself in the locker room, counting the number of tiles on the floor. Triple H and Flair were out in the ring in a tag match against someone that he couldn't remember. Only one thing was on his mind: stopping the World Tag Team title reign of Kane and the Hurricane. Nothing else mattered. He hadn't brought his ring gear to the arena; Matt wanted to blend in with the crowd in normal street clothes. The plan was to jump out of the audience when the referee was distracted and knock either the Big Red Machine or the Little Green Superzero out with what was on the other side of the room: a lead pipe. 

Matt took a long look at the pipe on the table in front of him. He could do an incredible amount of damage with it, damage beyond costing someone their titles. He could bash the Hurricane's head in or even break Kane's legs. The less competition around, the better his chances of bringing a championship to Evolution.

Hearing the faint sound of glass breaking, Matthew reached into his pocket to answer his cell phone. However, he hesitated when he read who it was on the caller ID: "Randy". Matthew put the phone down on the bench and let it ring. He was still pissed off at his brother from what transpired the previous night. Matt still had a giant red mark on his chest from where Randy had hit him with a vicious chop in the living room. Finally, the phone stopped ringing. After putting it in his pocket, it started to ring again. Matthew rolled his eyes; Randy just wanted to hold his little brother back. After the phone rang for a third and fourth time, Matthew gave in and finally answered it.

"Hello?"

"Matthew! Don't hang up! You don't know what you're fixing to get yourself into."

"... I don't need your concern, Randy."

"How ... how can you say that? I'm only trying..."

"You're just jealous. You can't stand the sight of your own little brother busting his butt over and over again when you're just sitting at home on your ass. All you want me to do is fail."

"Matthew, it's nothing like that at all. I couldn't be more proud of you making a name for yourself out there."

"Bullshit. I'm stealing your light and you'd do anything to stop me. That's why you hit me last night. Hell, if you didn't have that injured shoulder, I bet you would have RKOed me right then and there, whatever the hell it is."

Matthew hung up and threw the cell phone against the wall. The rage in his heart was growing greater with each second; Randy could go to hell for all he cared. The locker room door opened and Hunter and Flair walked into the room, fresh off their win. They tried to start conversation with Matthew, but he walked right past them, putting on a hat and a pair of sunglasses while carrying the lead pipe. Hunter looked back at Matthew heading to ringside and grinned.

* * *

Randy heard the other side of the line go dead. He tossed the phone onto the couch in defeat. Matthew was partially right; if Randy's shoulder was good and healthy, he would have delivered the first RKO to his brother. Such was the Orton temper. 

Standing up, Randy went to the kitchen to get a glass of water to calm his nerves. He didn't want to hold Matthew back. He didn't want to see his little brother fail. Sure, he was a little overprotective, but that couldn't be avoided. Randy spend most of his life worrying about Matthew. He couldn't help but assume the role of "big brother" in every single manner; Randy hadn't had the opportunity to do so in sixteen years.

Randy noticed the television emit a red glow in the living room. Kane was on his way to the ring. Orton sat down on the couch, anxious to see what would take place. Christian and Chris Jericho had the early momentum, keeping the Hurricane from tagging in Kane. Hurricane turned it around with a last ditch Shining Wizard and tagged in the Big Red Machine. Kane withstood a barrage of punches and shoved both of his opponents down to the ground. Unfortunately for him, the referee was standing behind Christian, and he suffered as a consequence. Randy heard the phone ring and quickly answered, only to hear two words:

"Watch this."

Randy looked on as someone jumped the divider and whacked the Hurricane hard in the back with a lead pipe. Hearing his partner scream out in agony, Kane turned around to see a fan standing over the Hurricane. The man climbed into the ring and took off his hat and sunglasses, revealing his identity to both the crowd and Kane. Kane charged at Matthew with a clothesline, but missed. Matt took aim and smacked Kane hard across the face. The red freak fell to the ground as Christian and Chris Jericho looked on in shock. Matthew landed more shots to the head as well as blows to the stomach, legs, and chest; Matt wanted to make sure Kane didn't get back up.

Randy looked on with despair; Kane wasn't going to forget any of this anytime soon. Randy now feared for his brother's life. Matthew stepped out of the ring quickly as the referee started to stir back to life. Christian quickly rolled Kane on his back and went for the pin.

"1...2...3!"

"Here are you winners, and the **new** World Tag Team Champions, Chris Jericho and Christian!"

Matthew stood proudly at the top of the ramp while the new champions walked on by him, belts in tow. He held the lead pipe up in the air in triumph, despite the intense boos coming from the crowd. The Hurricane had made it back to his feet and was attending to his fallen partner. Randy recoiled back as he saw the most hateful, evil grin spread across Matthew's face; his nightmare had come to life. Matthew wasn't Matthew anymore. He was an insane madman trying to eliminate ... permanently ... anyone that stepped in his way.

Suddenly, the crowd went silent. Kane had sat back up. Matthew looked surprised, but stood firm right where he was. Kane snatched a microphone from ringside and yelled at Matthew.

**"FORGET THE STEEL CAGE! I WANT YOU IN HELL IN A CELL!"**

The crowd went crazy. Randy nearly had a heart attack. Matthew smiled and nodded his head as RAW went to commercial.

* * *

Matthew had let himself into the house at 1:00 in the morning. It was late at night because Matthew had chosen to take a later flight back home to avoid getting confronted by Randy. Creeping upstairs, he saw that the door to Randy's room was wide open. Matthew peeked in, and saw his brother sleeping. He contemplated putting a sleeper hold on Randy; it would definitely relieve some of his stress. After standing in the doorway for a while, Matthew decided against it and walked down the hall to his own room. He quickly changed into some loose shorts to sleep in. Looking at the mirror to check on the bruises on his back, Matthew saw Randy creeping up behind him. Matt turned around to confront his older brother, who had the first words to say. 

"I'm not going to let you go through with this."

Matthew chuckled. "I'd like to see you try."

Randy looked Matthew straight in the eye, knowing that Matthew could easily best him in a fight.

"What's wrong, Randy?" Matthew said in a cold, unhuman voice. "Are you chicken?"

Randy started to shake in anger. He wanted to do something, but the thought of injuring his shoulder again stopped him.

"Come on, Randy. I'll even let you have the first shot." Matthew pointed straight to his chin.

"... I'm not going to hit you."

"You didn't have any problem doing it last night. The only reason that you're even standing on your own two feet is because Hunter and Eric stepped in to save your sorry ass."

Randy couldn't stand it anymore. Matthew's words cut into him; each one stabbing Randy straight in his heart. Finally, Randy made his move; he stepped forward and tightly hugged his brother while starting to cry.

"Matthew, I'm just afraid of losing you again. You don't realize how I felt when you disappeared that day. With how you've angered Kane now, I'm afraid something's gonna happen to you." Randy spoke the whole time between sobs.

Matt didn't know how to respond. All the haughtiness, all the cockiness, all the malevolent feelings disappeared from his mind. He caught sight of the picture Randy showed him that night in San Antonio slipped into the corner of the dresser mirror. Guilt instantly permeated all throughout Matthew and he embraced his brother in return.

"Randy ... I'm ... I'm sorry. I didn't know how you felt about me."

Randy responded by squeezing his brother even harder. Matthew never expected for his brother to get so emotional; it went completely against his cocky, self-centered personality.

"Listen. I can't back down from Kane now. I have to go through with it. You know Hunter wouldn't approve if I quit now."

"Its only your fourth match ... Hell in a Cell ... don't you realize how dangerous that kind of match is!?"

"Randy ... come on. Stop crying. I'm going to do my best next week. You're gonna be in the locker room with me and that's all the encouraging I need. This match is going to be all for you."

"Do you promise to calm down afterwards?"

"Of course."

The two brothers let go of each other, and each went on to bed to recover from their ordeal.

* * *

The week passed by quickly. Randy and Matthew worked out together as much as they could; Matthew wanted to repair the bond between himself and his brother. Along with Batista, the brothers started to weight train together; Randy used free weights with his good arm in tune to Matthew's reps. On the walk back to the house, Matthew took off in a sprint. Randy soon followed and Batista, not wanting to be left out, followed as well. Although they were goofing off, the guys had dramatically improved: Dave had more stamina from running with the Ortons, Matthew could lift more than ever before from Batista's regimen, and Randy had recovered some of his lost body tone with the encouragement from his brother. Monday night finally rolled around. Elaine had given her son new trunks, red with black letters. She kissed him and sent him on his way. 

The Hell in a Cell match was the night's main event; Matthew used all the time he could to warm up. Randy sat with him in the locker room, smiling. He felt like Matthew was unstoppable. Dave kept giving Matthew pointers on what power moves to try out, and Flair kept reminding Matt to use the cell as a weapon. Triple H said he had snuck a sledgehammer under the ring just in case Matthew needed it. Five minutes before the match started, Hunter pulled Matthew aside.

"Kid, I want you to slaughter Kane. Don't let him stay on his feet. Go for the legs and keep him down."

"I'm gonna do my best, Hunter."

"Do your best? You're going to win, no doubt about it, you hear me?"

Matthew looked up at Hunter. "I hear ya."

"Good. Now go out there and kick some ass."

Matthew headed for the door, but Randy stood in front of it. One more hug later, Matthew started his trek to the entrance ramp. No one even looked at him walking by; they all felt that this could possibly be Matthew's last match in the WWE. Kane wasn't known for showing mercy. Reaching the curtain, Matthew took one last deep breath before stepping out onto the ramp, his music blaring loudly.

"The following contest is a Hell in a Cell match. Introducing first, from San Antonio, Texas, weighing in at 239 pounds, Matthew Orton!"

Matthew froze and looked at the cell. He had seen it plenty of times on television, but he never had seen one in person. It was a massive structure, steel chained around steel. It was truly one hell of a cell. Walking down the ramp, he thought about his strategy through the jeers of the crowd. Nothing was going to get in his head. Stepping into the cell and jumping into the ring, Matt shuffled around, preparing himself for his hit and run tactics. His music stopped and Matthew turned around to face the TitanTron. The red fires exploded from the grating and Kane walked out onto the stage.

"And his opponent, weighing in at 326 pounds, Kane!"

Matthew could feel the heat of the fire on his skin, causing him to shudder. The sound level of the cheering for Kane was near deafening. Matt's heartrate began to accelerate quickly as Kane got closer and closer to the ring. The two stood toe to toe in the middle of the ring, eyes locked in an intense stare down. The two didn't say anything to each other because their eyes did all the talking.

And then, the bell rang.

Immediately, Kane and Matthew started punching the hell out of each other. Kane started to build momentum and backed Matthew into a corner. Knees to the stomach came next, forcing the wind out of Orton. With Matthew weakened, Kane wrapped his hand around Matthew's neck and choked him. Orton struggled to breathe; this was far worse than any of Randy's sleepers. Nearing a black out, Matthew aimed a kick at Kane's crotch and was successful. While Kane stumbled to the center of the ring, Matthew slipped out to recover his breath. His back to the cage, Matthew started to fish under the ring, looking for Triple H's sledgehammer. All he could find was a steel chair. Before he could pull it out, he felt a hand yank on his hair. Kane had recovered, and he was climbing out of the ring. He grabbed the back of Matt's neck and slammed his face straight into the cell.

Randy cringed upon seeing this on the monitor backstage. He was silent, but in his mind, he was yelling and cheering his little brother on. The rest of the group could be heard groaning when Matt would get hit hard and going nuts when Matt successfully landed something on Kane.

Kane had shoved Matthew back into the ring. A couple of leg drops later, Matthew was clutching his neck in pain. Kane then put Matt in the powerbomb position; it seemed as if Kane was going to send Matthew on the Last Ride. Randy gasped as his brother was lifted up in the air. However, Matt retailated with punches to the side of the head as he was sitting on Kane's shoulders. Kane started to stumble, and Matthew was able to convert it into a DDT. Slipping back outside to a different side of the ring, Matthew found what he was looking for. Grabbing the sledgehammer from under the ring, Matthew climbed back in, ready to assault his opponent. As Kane stood up, Matthew slammed the sledgehammer into Kane's stomach, making the big man yelp out in pain. With Kane doubled over, Matthew quickly put Kane's head under his arm, lifted him with all of his power, and hit the MKO.

Randy jumped up in excitement.

"**COVER HIM! HURRY UP!**", he yelled at the monitor.

Matthew seemed to hear Randy's cries from all the way backstage and went for the pin.

"1 ..."

Matthew was sent flying across the ring and through the ropes to the floor. Getting up, he looked at Kane on his feet.

_"How the hell?"_

The group backstage was saying the same thing. Matthew looked on in fright as Kane picked up the sledgehammer himself and gave chase. Matthew quickly got the steel chair he saw earlier to defend himself, but Kane only knocked it out of his hands with a huge swipe from the sledgehammer. Running around the ring, Matthew had no escape; he had to do something. He scampered back into the ring, only to have Kane in his path again. Kane reared the sledgehammer back, ready to strike. Matthew ducked and the momentum from the sledgehammer sent Kane into the ropes. Matthew rebounded off the opposite ropes and clotheslined Kane over the top rope, sending him into the door of the cell. The lock snapped, and Matthew quickly opened the door. He contemplated running up the ramp back to the locker room, but instantly decided against it. This was between him and Kane, no one else.

There was only one other way of escape: climbing up the side. Kane was already staggering up, so Matthew started to make his way up to the top. A feeling of dread filled Randy as Matthew made it to the top of the cage; Kane was halfway there, sledgehammer in hand. Now there was no escape except sixteen feet down to the ground.

"Dave, go help him!", Randy yelled out of concern, but he couldn't be heard over the volume of the both the crowd and his buddies yelling at the top of their lungs.

Kane and Matthew stared each other down one more time before Kane took another swipe at Matthew, barely grazing the side of his arm. Matthew managed to get a hand on the sledgehammer, and the two men started to struggle for control of it. With Kane pulling hard on it, Matthew let go, letting Kane's own momentum push him back. Tripping on the pipes, Kane fell on the mesh and dangled on the edge of the top of the cell. He dropped the sledgehammer off the side, eliticing a sigh of relief from the younger Orton. Matthew dragged Kane back to the center and put him in the powerbomb position.

Randy thought to himself, _"There's no way he can do that ... not on Kane ... and definitely not on top of the cage."_

Almost as if Batista heard his thoughts, he said, "He's got this! I know he can do it!"

Matthew focused all his energy into lifting up Kane and slamming him down on the mesh. It took all of his upper body strength for the second powerbomb, and all the adrenaline in him for the third. But upon slamming Kane down the third time, Matthew felt the mesh below him give way.

Both Randy and Matthew spoke two words: "Oh god..."

Kane fell through the cell and landed on the mat hard. Matthew caught the edge with one arm, but fell to the mat after hearing a loud "pop" and letting go of the pipe. Both men were on the ground; Kane wasn't moving at all and Matthew was clutching his shoulder, screaming in agony.

Randy instantly knew what was wrong. He watched as the referee inside wave his hands at the timekeeper to stop the match. The cell was raised and EMTs were called down to ringside. The sound of Matthew's yelling was louder than the murmurs of the crowd. Randy couldn't move at all; fear and shock took control of his body.

His brother had separated his shoulder.

* * *

_My own shoulder hurts writing that last bit. Randy wanted to spend more time with his brother, and he may have had his wish fulfilled. What will Matthew's condition be? How will Randy deal with his injured kin? And how will the Hunter, Ric, Dave, and Eric react?_

_R&R_

_  
SuspiciousInitials_


	11. Diagnosis

_700 hits! Yay! Thank you all for reading this, and I hope you enjoy this shorter chapter. Matthew and Randy learn about the severity of Matt's injury, the guys have a laughing fit, and money goes flying all over Matthew's room ... Monopoly money, that is. _

_Read and review! Have fun reading!_

* * *

Randy was sitting in the waiting room at the local hospital. He could hear periodic screams coming from behind the two doors to his right. Every scream resonated loudly, making Randy's head ache. The doctors were trying to pop Matthew's shoulder back into its socket, and from the sound of things, they weren't having much success. When Randy's shoulder was separated, a piece of the socket itself had chipped off, and they had to perform surgery to repair it. 

_"I hope it isn't that bad"_, Randy thought to himself.

He kept looking at the clock every few seconds, tapping his foot impatiently. It seemed like ages ago since Eric had driven him and Matthew to the hospital; it really had been only thirty minutes. Another look at the clock. 10:54 PM.

Eric walked into the room on a trip back from the vending machines with two bottles of water, giving one to Randy. Triple H, Flair, and Batista remained at the arena to take care of a little piece of business.

"Anything yet?"

"No. But you can sure hear how they're progressing."

Eric's ears rose up as he heard Matthew scream in anguish. The rest of the people in the waiting room were looking around the room, concerned looks on their faces. After taking a swig of water, Eric let out a long sigh and attempted conversation.

"Well, at least he held his own in the match."

Randy nodded. "He was doing well until he started to climb up the side of the cell. I don't know what was going through his mind. It was a dumb, stupid, idiotic mistake."

"Hey, go easy on Matt. I bet if you had a huge, angry monster coming after you in a cage, you'd look for any possible way to disappear."

"He could have just ran back to the locker room. Hunter and the guys would have taken care of Kane."

Eric thought for a second before he responded. "Matt probably wanted to keep it between himself and Kane. He's not someone who shoves his problems onto other people."

Randy turned and looked at Eric. "How do you know Matthew so well?"

"I met him in seventh grade. He was in my math class and I hated him so much because he was the goody-two-shoes-smarty-pants teacher's pet. But when I was having a really hard time for studying for a test, Matthew came over and helped me out greatly. I wouldn't have passed that test if it weren't for him tutoring me a for a couple of weeks. Then, I started hanging out with him after I got invited to his birthday party one year. A week or two passed and I learned that he was a really cool, laid back kinda guy. We've been inseparable ever since. When it came down to my graduation day, Matt actually started to tear up because he still had one more year to go and wouldn't see me as often." Eric stopped and thought for a second. "He hates losing friends."

Randy felt the same way. When he was out on the circuit and Matthew was at home training, Matthew would always sound a little sad and depressed whenever they talked on the phone. But whenever Randy got home, he seemed like he was the happiest and most energetic person.

"Did you guys play sports together?"

"Oh, definitely. Whatever he was in, I was in too. Swimming, football, weightlifting ... you name it, we were on the same team. When we played football, I was the quarterback, so I was the guy who held the ball when he kicked a field goal. We also loved to fake field goals, it was hilarious seeing the other team try to react to it."

Randy instantly thought of asking Hunter if Eric could join Evolution; he seemed like a team player.

"Maybe when you debut, Hunter'll let you into our group. When does Dad say you'll be ready?"

"He says a few weeks before WrestleMania, but I want to be ready by the Royal Rumble. Its always been a dream of mine to be entered into it."

Randy chuckled. One of his biggest dreams was to enter the Rumble as well.

"Your dad says I'll be big whether I'm on RAW or SmackDown. Hopefully I'll be on RAW so I can tag up with you guys."

A short silence ensued; both Randy and Eric noticed that Matthew hadn't let out a scream in quite some time. Not seconds after thinking about it, a doctor came through the two doors, clipboard in hand. It was the same doctor who took care of Randy's shoulder, Dr. Pritchard.

"Mr. Orton, good to see you again. I'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances. Your brother has separated his shoulder."

_"Duh, I knew that already."_

"He has the same condition you do, hypermobility of the shoulders."

"Say what now?" Eric asked.

"Its when your joints move beyond how their supposed to. When excessive movement happens, its easy for the joint to separate. Luckily for your brother, Randy, the separation was clean. Once we were able to hold him down ..." Dr. Pritchard chuckled. "... we were able to pop the bone back in its socket. X-rays were taken, and nothing of significance was found. Give him about four months, and he'll be healthy enough to return to competition."

"Four months ... that's February, isn't it?"

"Yes. When your shoulder should be ready as well."

_"We'll be able to return to RAW together. Cool."_

Finishing his thought, he saw the two doors open. Matthew slowly walked out, taking slow, careful steps. Randy ran over to hug him, but Matthew put out his good arm to prevent that from happening.

"Don't ... touch ... my shoulder ... at all", Matt said through gritted teeth. "Even the ... slightest pressure ... makes it hurt."

Randy wanted to ignore his plea and just squeeze the hell out of him, but he resisted. Turning to Dr. Pritchard, Randy gave his thanks. Since neither Matthew or Randy could write, Eric filled out the paperwork. Randy sat down with Matthew back in the waiting area.

"How do you feel?"

"Like there are a thousand knives in my shoulder. I don't know how you put up with this pain."

"I don't really know either. It hurt like hell ... It still does. You'll get used to it soon."

Matthew couldn't stand it. "I can't wait for the painkillers."

Randy let out a big laugh. "Yeah ... those things are awesome. You'll have to take one before you go to bed. Sleeping is really hard to do."

"Why?"

"Well, when I sleep, I don't stay in one place; I usually roll all over the bed. Even with this damn shoulder, it's hard not to stay completely still."

"I'm the same way. I always like to sleep on my side, but when I wake up, I end up either on my stomach or on my back."

Another long silence. Randy didn't want to bring the match with Kane up, but he wanted to talk.

"So ... um ... think you'll ever want to get into another Hell in a Cell match again?"

"Well ... sure ... if I'm smart enough not to climb up on top. I don't know, maybe I took one too many shots to the head."

Randy laughed and punched Matthew playfully in the arm.

"**OW!!!** ... Goddammit, Randy ..."

"Jeez! God, I'm sorry! ... **OW!**" Matthew punched Randy in the arm.

"Come on! I said I was sorry!"

"Still doesn't matter. I'm your brother. Its like that's the default setting for punching me or something. I punch you back."

"Ya know ... we're gonna fight once we're better. I'm dead set on it."

"Hmm ... I can see the headline in WWE Magazine now. 'Younger Orton brother triumphs in ... ow ... street fight'."

"Get real. You can't beat me and you know it."

Matthew narrowed his eyes at his brother, then smiled. "I don't know what life would have been like without you. I was one miserable person back in San Antonio."

"Miserable? Eric was your best friend; how could you have been miserable?"

"He was my best friend, yeah ... but he was my only friend. Whenever he wasn't around, I was always different. Mom and ... well ... my foster parents, I guess you could call them, noticed it. I had this feeling that I couldn't shake off. It was this empty part of my being. Whenever I was around Eric, that feeling was gone. And ever since we've been reunited, I haven't felt like that at all."

Eric came back into the room, shaking his hand in the air.

"Jeez ... that's a lot of damn stuff to fill out. My hand is killing me. Let's go home."

"I could go for that. We should order some pizza to pick up on the way there."

"Pizza? We eat that too often. What about Chinese? Is there a good Chinese place open this late?"

Matthew looked up at Randy and Eric arguing over what to eat and shook his head.. _"I really hope those painkillers knock me out once we get home."_

The smell of sesame chicken and egg rolls filled the car soon afterwards, and the three pals were heading home.

"Randy, do Mom and Dad know yet?"

" ... No, they don't. They're out at a dance tonight. They haven't seen RAW."

Matthew sighed and put his head down. "Mom's gonna have a cow ..."

"More than a cow. The whole friggin' herd."

Eric laughed. Matthew wanted to punch him in the face, but decided against it. He then reconsidered.

"**OW!!** What was that for?"

Eric looked over to see Matthew laughing incredibly hard.

"I don't ... ow ... know ... ", Matthew replied through grunts and laughter. Randy started laughing as well. Even though the side of his face hurt, Eric started to laugh. Jokes were exchanged and all three of them were laughing all the way to the house. Pulling in the drive way, Eric climbed out of the car and collapsed on the ground in a fit of laughter.

"My ... stomach ... I can't ... breathe ..."

The two brothers dragged Eric into the house, each of them using their good arm. The laughter caused them to ignore any pain. Matthew sat down at the dinner table, Eric lay sprawled on his back still laughing, and Randy went back to the car to get the food. Soon everyone was full of chicken and egg rolls, and Eric went out to the guest house to retire for the night. The brothers went to Matthew's room, and Randy propped Matthew's arm in a good way and left him to sleep. Randy changed into sleep shorts and tuckered in. He smiled when he heard snoring coming from Matthew's room.

_"I love my brother."_

* * *

Matthew heard the alarm on his nightstand and instinctively moved his arm to turn it off.

Big mistake.

A surge of pain shot throughout the whole right side of his body accompanied by a scream shooting through the whole house. Matthew heard what sounded like someone falling out of bed. Soon enough, Randy appeared in the doorway, holding his shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah ... I tried using my arm to ... turn off my alarm."

"Learning the hard way, huh?"

Matthew nodded weakly. A few moments later, Elaine and Bob Orton came into the room.

"What in the world happened to you, Matt!?"

"I ... separated my shoulder."

"**WHAT?!**", Elaine yelled. "**HOW?**"

Matthew didn't want to say anything; neither did Randy. Unfortunately for them, Eric walked into the room.

"He fell through the top of the cell and it separated when he tried to grab the side before falling in."

"I ... " Matthew tried to save the conversation. "... have the same hypermobility Randy has. The momentum from my fall ... and then ..." Matthew looked at his shoulder. " ... well ... here it is."

Elaine started ranting about how dangerous that match was just like Matthew had anticipated. Randy quickly stepped behind his mother and mouthed "MOO" to Matthew, who laughed.

"What's so funny?" Elaine looked back at Randy, who struggled to keep a straight face.

And then, the doorbell rang, and Elaine went down to see who it was. Randy pulled a shirt from Matthew's closet and tossed it at him so he could try putting it on by himself. Randy couldn't help but chuckle as Matthew had the shirt partially on his head with his good arm through the hole for the head.

"Very funny, Randy."

Hunter, Flair, and Dave walked into the room and started to laugh after looking at Matthew tangled in his own shirt.

"Having some trouble there, kid?"

"Hunter? Um ... yeah ... sorta."

"How long you out for?"

"Until February", Matthew said through the shirt in his face. "Randy, just pull this off me, please. I'll try later."

Randy helped Matthew while Hunter spoke again. "Eh, it ain't so bad. You guys will be able to come back at the same time."

Matthew breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't screw up his or his brother's chances with Evolution.

"You did good, kid. Rest up. We'll see you in February."

The three men quickly said their goodbyes; they just wanted to pop in to check on Matthew, then head off to the next town. Elaine and Bob went downstairs to see them off. Eric went downstairs to the weight room to start his regimen for the day. Only Randy and Matthew were left in the room. Randy decided to show Matthew a good way to put a shirt on without much pain, much to Matthew's delight. Randy compared it to when he was five years old, helping his mother feed and clothe Matthew, except now, Matthew could actually hold his head up and wasn't crying every five seconds. Elaine came upstairs with some chicken noodle soup and Sprite.

"Mom ... I'm not sick."

"No, but some soup will do you good. Now eat up."

Matthew looked at Randy and said once his mother was out of the room, "You would think mom's chicken noodle soup is a cure-all." Matthew took a spoonful. "Ooohh ... but its good." Randy laughed and yelled downstairs.

"Mom, can I have some too?"

"Come down and get some, Randy!"

"But you brought some to Matthew!"

"That's different. You can actually walk!"

Randy was baffled. "There's nothing wrong with his legs; its only his shoulder!"

"Shut up and get down here if you want some soup!"

"But, **MOM**!"

Randy steamed down the stairs in anger, but Matthew was laughing. Coming back up with his bowl of soup, Randy stepped back into the room with crackers.

"Crackers! Bro, give me some."

"No."

"Why not?"

"You can walk. Go get your own", Randy said with a smirk on his face.

"**MOM**!"

"Randy, give him some crackers!"

Randy thought he should get angry, but he started chuckling instead. This is exactly how those sixteen years would have been. Maybe there would be a way to make them up somehow.

"This won't be so bad after all. Eh, Randy?"

"Nah. I think February can take its sweet time getting here."

Eric came back in the room dressed to work out, but saw that Randy had pulled out a game of Monopoly.

"Dude, I love Monopoly. I want to be the car."

"Too slow, Eric." Matthew held the car up in his hand.

"Awww ... I'm the horse then."

"Got ya beat there." Randy held the horse up.

"Fine ... I'll settle for the stupid dog."

A few hours passed, and Matthew and Randy had the board dominated. Matthew had the oranges and reds with hotels on each of them while Randy had the light and dark blues. A hotel on Boardwalk stood in front of the little dog token; Eric had very little money after landing on Matthew's New York Avenue.

"Please don't be a three. Please don't be a three."

Eric kissed the dice for good luck and threw them on the board. Seeing that it was an eleven, he moved the dog to Chance and read the card, collecting his $200 from the banker, Randy.

"Take a walk on the Boar... oh, goddammit."

Randy grinned as the dog was moved to Boardwalk. Eric promptly handed everything over to Randy, properties, Get out of Jail Free cards, and what little money he had left over. He quickly unmortgaged the light purples and built four houses on each of them, stacking the path in front of Matthew's car.

"I think I've got you trapped, Matt."

"We'll see." Matthew picked up the dice and rolled a seven, which was enough to put him right smack dab in the middle of everything: the Electric Company. Randy took his turn and got sent to the shiny red hotel in front of Illinois Avenue.

"Show me the money, Randy."

Randy tore down the houses he just built as well as mortgage the railroads he had and reluctantly gave the money to his brother. Matthew picked up the dice and rolled again.

"Free Parking! Oh yeah!"

All the money under Free Parking went to Matthew's stack, and Randy groaned. The rain continued to fall on Randy's parade as he tore down more houses and hotels and mortgaged nearly everything he had. Only Boardwalk was left face up with one house on it. He rolled one more time and landed on ... Illinois Avenue.

"Goddammit! These dice are rigged." He threw them across the room in frustration while Eric and Matthew had a hearty laugh.

"Just you guys wait! I'll kick both of your asses in a game of Clue."

* * *

_Hey, what can I say, I love Monopoly. I had to put it in there. Matthew, Randy, and Eric get ready for a board game battle of epic proportions in a game of Clue. It will be EPIC, I tell you. Also, the two brothers delve deeper into their past as they discuss ... girls. Then, on a trip to the grocery store, Matthew runs into yet another person from his past. Who will it be? _

_R&R_

_  
SuspiciousInitials_


	12. Sentiment

_Last time, Matthew found out how long he would be on the sidelines for. Randy learned more about his brother from Eric, and the three engaged in an epic board game battle. Now, the battle continues. Afterwards, Randy and Matthew get in a little trouble, causing them to go to the groceries as punishment. There, Matthew runs into another person he has seen before. Who is it? Read and find out. Don't forget to review!_

* * *

Matthew, Eric, and Randy held their cards close to their faces. Everyone was eyeing everyone with a suspicious look on their face. Eric looked at his notepad, then back up at Randy, who was trying to steal a look at Matthew's hand. Matt tilted his cards so Randy couldn't see them. Randy sunk back in his chair and twiddled his thumbs. The game really hadn't gone anywhere, and no one seemed to have any idea who did it, with what, or where.

"This game sucks."

"You're just saying that because you suck at it."

Randy glared at his brother with a piercing look. With a new determination, he picked up the die and moved his little yellow piece to the Ballroom. Calling out his suggestion, Matthew laughed and slipped Randy a card to look at.

"Dammit! Show me a different card!"

"You've guessed Miss Scarlet five or six times already, Randy. I think you might have realized that by now."

_"I have?"_

Matthew could tell that Randy was incredibly confused and laughed at the look on his brother's face. Eric took his turn and moved to the Study. Randy showed Eric a card and the die was passed to Matthew. Intentionally rolling the die to knock over Randy's piece, Matt moved to the Billiard Room.

"I'm ready to make my accusation. Colonel Mustard with the Candlestick in the Billiard Room."

Eric sighed, and Randy thought the game was over. Matthew slipped the three cards out of the confidential case file envelope in the center of the board and looked at them one at a time. When Matthew saw the third part, Randy cracked a sly smile and shook his head.

_"So I suck at the game, huh? I managed to keep my Candlestick card from you the whole time! HAH!"_ Randy sat back in his chair in triumph, ready to face off against Eric for the rest of the game.

"How the hell did I get that wrong?" Matthew said with a look of total bewilderment on his face. He looked down and double-checked his notepad, making sure that, in each section, only one slot remained unchecked. Sure enough, two weapons were still blank on the notepad. _"I missed that?! Ugh ... Randy's not gonna let this go for a while."_

It was Randy's turn. Taking advantage of Matthew's screw-up, Randy made an accusation, substituting the Revolver for the Candlestick. Taking the cards out of the file, Randy grinned and threw them face up on the table.

"Read 'em and weep, boys!"

Eric remained indifferent while Matthew started to think of something to insult Randy with. After failing to come up with anything, Matthew accepted his loss and started to put the game away. Randy kept mocking his brother, throwing the die and his yellow piece in Matt's face. Eric slowly stepped out of the room, knowing that the situation could explode at any moment. Matthew looked up at Randy and said, "Scrabble. Tonight."

"You're on, bro. But for now, to the winner goes the spoils; go get me a coke."

Matthew opened his mouth in protest, but didn't say anything. He only laughed and slowly made his way downstairs. Eric had already started doing his own thing, jumping rope in the room adjacent to the kitchen. Randy had come down and sat at the dinner table, waiting for his drink. Matthew brought over a Pepsi and sat it down in front of Randy. Matt stepped back, as if expecting something to happen. Randy looked at him curiously and realized why his brother was now walking away from him after opening the Pepsi. It began to spew everywhere, covering himself in carbonated beverage.

"Goddammit, Matthew!" Eric watched as Randy gave chase, carrying what was left of the Pepsi. After he found Matthew hiding in a corner, Randy poured the rest of the drink all over Matt.

"**WHAT IN THE HELL IS ALL OVER MY DINING ROOM TABLE!**"

Randy and Matthew froze as they heard their mother's voice boom throughout the house.

"**RANDY! MATTHEW! YOU GET YOUR BUTTS IN HERE RIGHT NOW!**"

"Should we hide?" Matthew asked.

"Are you crazy? Mom will murder us if we try to run." Covered in Pepsi, the two boys walked back slowly to the dining room to see their mother's bright red face looking at them.

"What is this?" Elaine pointed to the table. Neither brother responded. "Well?" Randy shoved Matthew, causing him to take a step forward. "Did you do this, Matt? You're covered in it!"

"Well ... uh ... Randy beat me in a game, and he made me get him a coke. I thought it would be funny to shake the can up, and then give it to him. Then he took what was left of the can and poured it all over me." Randy snickered, but quickly shut up.

"You two both clean this up! I don't care if both your shoulders are hurt; clean this mess right now!" Elaine shoved a bottle of cleaner in Randy's hand and a couple of rags in Matthew's hand. Eric poked his head into the room and offered to help after having a good laugh.

Matthew felt enlivened. "I've never gotten into trouble like that before. It was fun just doing whatever without thinking about the consequences." Eric grinned, slapping Matthew on the back a couple of times to congratulate him.

"**OW! **Eric, goddammit!" Matthew yelled through gritted teeth.

Randy erupted in laughter as Eric hastily apologized. After a couple of minutes, the table was squeaky clean, and the brothers decided to join Eric in the workout room. Eric resumed his jumping rope and Randy stepped onto a treadmill. Matthew stood there, unsure on what would allow him to exercise without pain.

"It's gonna hurt some, Matt. Just pick up a dumbbell and put a little weight on it."

Matthew looked around and decided to get on the treadmill next to Randy. Putting it at a moderate speed, Matthew groaned with each step. At first, he tried to make it through the pain, but after fifteen seconds he couldn't stand it anymore.

"You'd be better off walking around the house at your own pace, Matt. Just do like I told you and pick up a dumbbell."

After Matthew gave in, the three remained in the room for a good hour or so. Matt's left arm felt sore after lifting so much, but it was the only thing he could do. Once they were all tuckered out, Elaine came into the room with a piece of paper and a wad of cash and handed it to Matthew.

"What is that?" Eric asked.

Matthew started reading and sighed in defeat. "It's a shopping list."

"All three of you boys can take a trip to the store for me. Consider it part of your punishment." Elaine left the room with a big smile on her face.

"She's kidding, right? Why do I have to go?" Eric asked in surprise.

"We can't drive, idiot."

* * *

Randy was struggling to steer the shopping cart with one hand as Matthew and Eric walked ahead of him picking things off the shelves.

"Guys, don't get anything not on the list. Mom only gave us enough for what was on this stupid piece of paper."

Eric and Matthew looked at each other and put the Pop-Tarts back. Only the essentials were on Elaine's list: stuff like toilet paper, shampoo, eggs, and toothpaste. Randy spied the Bagel Bites in the frozen section, but resisted the urge to drop them into the basket. Now that they were at home all the time, the guys wanted to gorge themselves on whatever they could get their hands on. On the road, Hunter made them stay on a strict diet; the last things Hunter needed were two out of shape brothers. After passing by the ice cream section about thirty times looking at all the flavors, they finally decided to head to the checkout line.

"You don't know how hard it was to pass all that food and not toss it in ... god", Randy blurted out while putting the items on the conveyor belt.

"Of course we do!" Matthew exclaimed. "I wanted to put nearly everything in the basket."

Eric was double checking the list and groaned. "We forgot the bread!"

"Dammit. I'll go get it", Matthew said. Making his way back out to the aisles, he looked up at the signs to find where the bread was. He turned the corner and smacked into someone, knocking them to the floor. Matt yelped in pain and clutched his shoulder.

"Watch where you're going, you big jerk!"

The voice sounded familiar. He helped the girl to her feet and they looked each other directly in the eye.

"Ca ... Camilla?"

The girl looked over the guy in front of him, and then spoke. "Matthew? Is it really you?"

He nodded, and the two embraced. Matthew ignored the pain in his shoulder, his emotions overwhelming his physical senses.

"I ... I've missed you so much. You never called me ... you never answered any of my e-mails ... where have you been this whole time?"

Camilla didn't answer, but Matthew didn't care. She pulled away when she finally realized that Matt was wearing a sling. "Oh my god, why is your shoulder in a sling?"

"I separated it yesterday."

"Yesterday?! Aren't you in pain?"

"Right now, yeah. You were hugging me hard, but I didn't care. Seeing you again has made me the happiest person on earth."

Back at the checkout line, Eric and Randy stood there impatiently. Getting a bit angry, Randy went out in search of his little brother. He rounded the corner to the bread aisle and yelled out, "What the heck is taking so ... oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize ..."

"Randy ... remember the girl I told you about in the car on the way to the hotel in San Antonio? This is her."

Camilla stood wide-eyed. "Randy? As in Randy Orton?"

"Yep. Nice to meet you, Camilla." Randy extended his hand to shake Camilla's and she did so. She promptly fainted.

"Camilla?! Hey, wake up!" Matthew picked her up and waved air into her face using a nearby bottle of salad dressing. Randy looked confused as Camilla came to. She immediately got back on her feet and gawked at Randy's body. "You are the most handsome man on the face of this earth."

Randy stood shocked and Matthew had the most peculiar look on his face. "Um ... Camilla ... I'm right _here_." She didn't seem to notice.

"Ever since I saw you come down that ramp in April on SmackDown, I knew that you were going to be ..."

Matthew interrupted. "Wait a minute! Camilla, what the hell is going on here?" She snapped out of her trance.

"Oh ... I'm ... sorry ... I'm just a big fan of Randy's. He's got the most beautiful voice and a ... a ... rockin' body. I just went crazy."

Randy was smiling in a cocky manner; Matthew narrowed his eyes at Randy and "Not once in the time we were together did you tell me you watch the WWE."

"You got me into it. Every Monday and Thursday when we were together, you dragged me to the television to watch it. And then ever since I moved to Arkansas, I got hooked. I was so sad to hear that you separated your shoulder ... Wait. You both separated your shoulders?"

Randy and Matthew nodded. Camilla then looked at the similarities of the men and smiled. "Wow ... you guys look a lot alike. No wonder I was attracted to Randy; he looks so much like you, Matt." The biggest grin flashed on Matthew's face and Randy gave his brother a defeated look.

"You're not gonna believe this then. Get this ... at that same SmackDown event that Randy debuted at ... we ran into each other."

"Literally."

"Yeah, literally. And then he dropped a bomb on me. Camilla ... we're brothers."

Camilla turned to look at Matthew. "... No way. That's not ... well ... you two do look a lot alike. How'd you two find out for certain?"

Randy took out his wallet and pulled out the same picture he showed Matthew that night and handed it over to Camilla. "Awwwwwwww ... little Randy's **soooooooo** cute! And ..." Camilla compared the picture to Matthew's face several times. "... it **_is_** you! You two **_are_** brothers!" Camilla hugged both of them tightly, causing two screams to fill the store. "Oh! Sorry! Sorry! I won't do that again."

Matthew repeated the question he asked earlier. "So ... why haven't you contacted me in forever?" Camilla went silent and whispered her answer in his ear. _"I'll tell you in the car. Let's go."_ Randy grabbed a loaf of bread and the three headed back to the checkout lane, where a fairly long line had grown.

Eric stood there with his hands on his hips. "It's about time! All we needed was a freakin' loaf of bread!" Camilla came into view, and Eric instantly recognized her. "Camilla! Wha ... What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you again too, Eric." The two hugged briefly and Randy gave the loaf of bread to the cashier. After bagging everything and putting it in the shopping cart, the four of them walked out to the car, Eric pushing the cart and Camilla linked in between the brothers' good arms. The groceries were loaded into the car as well as the four friends. Eric drove, Randy sat in the front seat, and Matthew and Camilla occupied the back seat. Matthew talked quietly in the back seat to Camilla.

"What did you want to tell me?"

"Matthew ... my family died not two weeks after we reached Arkansas. They were in a car crash while I was in school."

"Oh god ... Camilla ... I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I'm fine now. I never got around to calling you because I didn't have any time in between looking for a job and a place to live in."

"What about your house?"

"Dad hadn't signed the papers yet. They found another buyer quickly. There was nothing much else to do."

"How'd you end up in St. Louis?"

"Dumb luck. I worked at an electronics store for a while, and they wanted to transfer me to a location here in St. Louis. Now that I had a little bit of money, I found a little apartment and had enough to start a new life."

Matthew smiled and put his good arm around Camilla's back, who then leaned her head against Matthew's chest. Randy looked in the rear view mirror and smiled when he saw the two snuggled up against one other. He asked a question to Camilla.

"Hey ... you said you watch us a lot ... why didn't you see Matthew?"

"I had to work Monday nights for the last month or so and I don't have a VCR ... wait, _see_ Matthew? Were you in the audience or something?"

Matthew laughed. "Nope. I was in the ring. Against Kane of all people."

"Kane? _You're a professional **wrestler?**_"

"Up and coming ... just ask Triple H."

"Ew ... Triple H. He's ugly. His nose is too big."

The whole car erupted in laughter. Randy interrupted, saying "You can tell that to his face when he comes over next week. Him, Flair, and Batista too."

"Oooh ... Batista ... he's a hunk." Matthew laughed. "So do you watch wrestling just to gawk at our bodies?"

"No!" Camilla said in a defiant voice. "That's just an added bonus."

Matthew pulled Camilla closer to him. "God, I missed you. Now I get to introduce you to Mom."

The car backed into the driveway, and Elaine came out to help take in the bags. Matthew and Camilla got out of the car.

"Now ... who is this beautiful young lady?"

"Mom, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend. Camilla, this is Elaine, my mother."

"Your girlfriend? Isn't it a bit fast to start calling her your girlfriend?" Elaine said after shaking Camilla's hand.

"Heh ... she was my girlfriend before I met Randy. She moved to Arkansas and couldn't get in touch with me because of some events in her life. Somehow, through fate, she got a job and an apartment here in St. Louis. And we ran into each other while at the grocery store."

"Literally."

Elaine was a bit surprised. "You run into everyone, son! First Randy, then Eric, and now your lost girlfriend!"

Matthew took a deep breath and asked a question he had been pondering in the car ride back home. "Well, since Eric is living with us, I'd figure I'd ask you if Camilla could shack up here too."

Everyone stopped what they were doing. Eric and Randy looked at each other. Even Camilla's mind was blown.

"Um ... well ... the guest house is occupied ... where would she sleep?"

"My room."

Randy could see where Matthew was trying to achieve. Elaine wised up to it. "Whoa, whoa. Hold on there. You're a little too young to have a girl sleeping in the same bed as you."

Keeping a straight face, Matthew responded. "I can go out and buy a small separate bed for her. No tomfoolery."

Elaine looked at her son cautiously. "I'll talk to your father about it. In the meanwhile, you're welcome to come in, Camilla."

The two reunited lovebirds walked into the house. Eric and Randy stood back at the car and yelled, "Hey! Aren't you going to help unload the groceries?"

Elaine responded. "Ah, let them go. They need some time to get reacquainted with one another."

Inside the house, Matthew and Camilla sat down on the couch. After a few seconds, the two embraced each other and Matthew planted a big kiss on her forehead. "You don't have any idea how much I missed you."

"Yes, I do. I missed you the exact same way."

* * *

_Ah, love is in the air. How will Camilla affect the relationship between the two brothers? And what antics will come when Halloween rolls around?_

_Stay tuned for the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed this one! Please, please, post a review._

_SuspiciousInitials_


	13. Hollow

_October is a month of craziness at the Orton house. Randy reveals something about himself, Eric musters up the courage to challenge Batista, Camilla makes crazy Halloween costumes for both Matthew and Randy, and someone gets injured. _

_Read and review! _

* * *

Camilla came out of the kitchen with the happiest look on her face, jumping into Matt's arms ... well ... arm. 

"Your dad just okayed me staying here! I can stay in your room!"

Randy and Eric, who had finished unloading the groceries, both shot stunned looks at Matthew, who was also in a state of shock.

"We have to go to my apartment to get my stuff! Let's go!"

Randy and Eric groaned. "Camilla, let us take a rest. Didn't you see how many bags were in that car?" Camilla laughed and pulled Matthew to the car, who shot a '_Help!_' look to his brother and his best friend. They smiled and watched as Camilla dragged Matt through the door, into the car, and off to Camilla's apartment. As he watched the couple drive off, Randy's smile turned into a frustrated frown. Eric noticed this and asked a question.

"What's wrong, Randy? Jealous of your brother?"

Randy shot a look at Eric. "... yeah. A little." Randy paused and looked down at the floor. "Eric, have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"No. Not really. Not one that actually loved me."

"When I was in high school, I thought I had found the girl of my dreams. Her name was Jennifer. We loved each other. Whenever someone made a pass at her or insulted her, I defended Jennifer with all of my heart. We went together to movies, parties, dances, the whole show. Then, at our senior prom, something happened that you only see on television or the big screen." Eric listened intently as Randy continued. "We had just taken our picture together. I went off to get some punch for us while she went off to the restroom. When I came back, one of Jennifer's friends showed me a picture on a digital camera. I'll give you two guesses on who was in that picture."

"... It was Jennifer, wasn't it?"

"... kissing another guy. I felt betrayed. Hell, I was the angriest son of a bitch in the whole room. But I knew that raising a commotion at the senior prom could be like exile from the whole class; I just left her there with her new man. I peeled out of the parking lot and never saw her again."

"Well, that doesn't sound too bad ... I mean, it's not like she died that night, right?" Randy looked straight at Eric with a tear in his eye. " ... No way. Dude ... that sucks."

"It was on the news the next morning. 'Local teens die of drug overdose'. Both of them died." Randy paused for a bit, letting that tear fall down his cheek. "I never got to say anything else to her. I never got to ask her why or even say goodbye. He wiped the tear from his face and continued. "I mean ... I'm happy for Matthew finding the girl he loves ... but I never may get the chance again."

"Well ... look at it like this. There's gotta be plenty more f..."

" ... fish in the sea. Yeah, yeah. I used that line on Matthew. His girlfriend only moved away, so I thought he would have a better chance at finding someone. And, lo and behold, he finds the very girl he lost."

A short silence overcame the room before Eric broke it. "... Do you want something to drink?" Randy chuckled and nodded. Eric added, "We can break out a game of Battleship too." Randy's face brightened up. "Now you're talkin'!" Randy headed up to Matthew's room to retrieve the game while Eric got the drinks. He heard Randy shout "**MAN YOUR BATTLESTATIONS!**". Eric smiled, thinking to himself, "_He can change moods rather quickly_."

By the time Camilla and Matthew started to pull up the driveway, Randy had all but sunk Eric's chances of winning.

"A-5."

"Goddammit .. hit." Eric sulked in his chair as his last ship was filled with little red pegs. Randy pumped a fist into the air in triumph, but met with the jaw of his brother, who was planning to lock a sleeper hold on Randy.

"**OW!** Jeez ... watch it!" Matt shoved Randy in the back in retaliation. "Come help us unload the car."

"Help you? You didn't help us earlier!"

Matthew rolled his eyes. "Will you help me then, Eric?" Reluctantly, Eric got up and strated to walk to the door. Randy looked at him like he just got stabbed in the back. Eric looked back and shrugged before walking outside. Randy could hear Camilla giggling as she ran up and down the stairs. He couldn't help but be reminded of the times he and Jennifer spent together: sunbathing on the beach, watching movies with his arm around her ... even their first kiss.

"Randy! We're all gonna play Scrabble! Come up here so I can show you boys how to play a game!"

Hearing Camilla's shout, Randy climbed up the stairs to Matt's room where Camilla made good on her promise. In a very short time, she was over 100 points ahead of the next player. Matthew was flabbergasted at being so behind so early in the game; it hurt his ego that his girlfriend was the one who was beating him. He made a last ditch effort to recover, but only managed to close the gap halfway; Camilla won the game by about 50 points.

"What can I say, boys? I'm good at word games.

* * *

The rest of October passed by in a hurry. Randy and Matthew continued lightly working out together while Eric put all of his heart into his conditioning. In time, he was starting to rival both brothers in terms of looks. The weekend before Halloween, Batista came down to visit the gang to check on their progress. Matthew introduced Camilla to Dave; she ogled Batista's body like she did Randy when she first met him. After the introduction was finished, Dave pulled Matt aside. 

"You're okay with her doing that sort of thing?"

Matthew shrugged his shoulders. "I've never had a serious problem with it. Sure, it's a little awkward, but I know that she'll never get romantically involved with someone else."

There was a tap on Dave's shoulder, and he turned around to see Eric clad in wrestling gear.

"I want to challenge you to a sparring match."

Dave and Matthew looked at each other and burst out in laughter.

"What? I can't go against either Matthew or Randy, so I want to get in the ring with you while you're here."

"If you say so, kid. But I'm warning you, I'm no pushover. Just ask Matt."

"He's not kidding. A Batista Bomb can certainly put your lights out. It didn't put mine out, but I'm sure it will work just fine on you."

Batista looked over at Matthew and smirked. Matt certainly earned his respect by kicking out of a Batista Bomb that day in the gym. Eric spoke up. "Listen, if even Matthew can beat you, I'll certainly have you down fast."

Both smiles dropped off Dave and Matt's faces. They both stood toe-to-toe with Eric.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Matthew asked. Eric was speechless; the sight of Batista and Orton in his face was more than a little intimidating. Batista finished Matthew's thought outloud. "Get in the ring, Eric. I'll whip your ass in a minute." Shaking, Eric turned around and headed to the backyard. Matthew whispered something over to Dave. "Batista Bomb his ass for me. That'll be the last time he disrespects us."

Batista chuckled. "You're beginning to sound more like Hunter every time I talk to you." Dave walked off to go change while Matthew stood there in thought. Was Dave right? Was Triple H rubbing off on him?

Camilla was around the corner, listening in to the whole conversation. Already in motion, she grabbed her MP3 player, her sunglasses, a lawn chair, a small ice chest, and headed out to the backyard. She ran into Randy and nearly dropped everything.

"Whoa, Camilla, where's the alarm?"

"Eric's gonna fight Dave in the ring! I wanna watch it."

"Oooh ... this is gonna be good." Randy went off to get his own chair. He passed Batista going towards the backyard; Dave looked pissed. Matthew wasn't too far behind him, looking almost the same way.

_"What the hell did Eric do?"_, Randy thought.

Camilla had already set up her chair and got comfortable just as Eric came through the backdoor. She cheered for him as though she were at a live event; this would be the closest she would get before Matthew and Randy got well enough to compete. Eric climbed into the ring with a scared look on his face. Camilla noticed this and plugged little mini-speakers into her MP3 player. Eric heard the Undertaker's theme blare from somewhere and jumped before seeing Camilla laughing. Eric has been terrified of the Undertaker when he was young just as Matthew was terrified of Kane. Batista opened the door forcefully and started to walk to the ring. Matthew followed behind, wearing a referee's shirt. Camilla giggled; seeing Matthew in one of those instead of his wrestling trunks was odd.

Just as the match was starting, Randy made his way to the backyard and sat down beside Camilla. Surprisingly, Eric had the momentum in the early going. A steady stream of hit and run dropkicks and punches kept Batista disoriented. Matthew could see the fear in his eyes every time Batista got back up. After another dropkick, Batista fell and hit the turnbuckle, stunning him for a bit. Eric took advantage and climbed up to the top rope.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Camilla shouted out. Matthew was thinking the same thing. Eric leaped off to attempt a cross body block, but Dave caught him in mid-air and somehow reversed it into a spinebuster. Randy and Camilla both groaned out loud while Dave shook the top rope violently. Everyone knew what was coming, and Matthew backed up to give Batista room. Dave lifted Eric up, but Eric started punching Dave in the head. Eric pushed himself off and clotheslined Batista down.

"Whoa." Randy said out loud. Camilla nodded her head in agreement. Eric picked Dave up and put him in a powerbomb position. Matthew wised up to what Eric was trying to do, and shook his head.

_"Don't try it, Eric. You know he's gonna be pissed off."_

Eric tried to life Dave up, but wasn't successful. Another attempt failed, and Batista shoved Eric onto his back. His eyes were bulging out of their sockets, and Matthew climbed out of the ring. _"I told you, Eric, goddammit."_ Dave picked Eric up and slammed him down in a thunderous Batista Bomb. Matt counted to three from the outside. Dave stood over Eric and looked down straight into his eyes.

"Don't **ever** disrespect me again."

As Dave left the ring, Matthew wondered if that would have happened if he hadn't beat Batista that day at the gym. He almost felt sorry for Eric; Dave wasn't gonna let this go anytime soon. Matt helped Eric up, who was clutching his back in agony. Camilla walked over and handed Eric a bottle of water and put some ice on his back.

"I ... I ... won't ever ... do that ... again ..."

Matthew laughed. "Damn right you won't."

* * *

Dave had left early the next morning to rejoin Hunter and Flair. Camilla saw him off, as the guys were either still sleeping or in bed with an ice pack on his back. As Batista pulled out of the driveway, Camilla's thoughts turned to the upcoming Thursday: Halloween. She wanted to come up with a costume idea for herself; it was a tradition for her to make her own costume every year. She also wanted to make one for Matthew and Randy, but it was going to be difficult to get around the fact that they could only use one arm. She walked into the kitchen to see Randy cooking himself an egg. 

"You're up early. Is Matthew still asleep?"

"Yep. You could probably hear him snoring if you stood at the base of the stairs."

Camilla giggled. "He always had a bad snoring problem. But, hey, I need to ask you a question. What is the most embarrassing Halloween costume that you think Matthew would absolutely loathe wearing?"

Randy looked at Camilla and smiled. "A big, white bunny outfit. Complete with tail and ears. That would be hilarious!"

Camilla doubled over in laughter and Randy chuckled. Seeing Matthew with whiskers and a pink nose could be quite the sight. Matthew came into the kitchen, his eyes barely open and his hair stuck in all kinds of directions. He looked over to see Randy and Camilla laughing.

"What's so funny?"

The two took one look at Matthew and started laughing again.

"What?!" Matthew shook his head after not getting an answer and grabbed an apple off the kitchen counter.

"Matt, what do you think Randy would hate to have as his Halloween costume?"

"Ohhh ... that must be what was making you laugh so much. What did Randy say about me?"

Randy answered for Camilla. "A bunny costume."

"Oh ... yeah, I would definitely hate that." Matthew threw the apple at Randy and caught him in the stomach. Randy threw it back, but Matthew managed to catch it. "Anyway, I would think that Randy would hate to be a ... uh ... um ... I know! Make him a Teletubby! The red one!"

Matthew started to laugh when the smile vanished off of Randy's face.

"I'm gonna get you one day for this, you know."

"Bring it. You'll only see three letters when I kick your ass: M ... K ... O."

"No, no, no, little bro. **R **... KO."

"Well, okay, if you insist that I use your own move on you, that's fine with me."

Camilla interrupted. "Come on, guys. I don't need my two men attacking each other right now."

"_Two_ men?" Matthew queried.

"Well ... seeing as I'm helping to take care of you guys while you're injured ... yeah."

Everyone sat down to have breakfast, Camilla eating a bowl of cereal, Randy scarfing down his egg, and Matthew chomping on the apple. Eric came in from the guest house already geared up to start the day. He made himself a protein shake, gulped it down, and went to the workout room to start.

"Hi!", Matthew waved sarcastically as Eric left the room.

"Sometimes I think he's getting too into it. He isn't as lively or conversational as used to be", Camilla commented.

Randy answered. "Even since Batista drove him into the ground, he's been determined to get a rematch."

"There's a feud waiting to happen."

"Hopefully they'll bury the hatchet once Evolution starts." Matthew instantly realized his mistake.

"Evolution? What's that?" Camilla asked.

Randy slapped Matthew on the back of the head. "Nothing. Its nothing."

"No, you wouldn't have slapped him if it was nothing! Tell me what this is!"

Matthew sighed as he thought of what to say. "Evolution is what Randy and I are going to call ourselves once we return to the ring."

_"Nice save"_, Randy thought to himself.

"Oh ... but why Evolution?"

Randy jumped at the bit to answer the question. "Because we're the future of this business. Future World Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champions right here."

"Yep. I'll be the youngest heavyweight champion ever", Matthew added.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa ... _I'll_ be the youngest heavyweight champion ever. You'll be the youngest _Intercontinental_ champion ever."

"I believe you have that flip-flopped, my good man."

"Nope, I'm right."

"I don't think so."

"Nope."

"Yep."

The two kept exchanging words and Camilla sighed as she muttered "... Brothers."

The argument was interrupted when they heard a scream come from the workout room. Camilla, Randy, and Matthew ran to the workout and saw Eric laying on the weight bench with the bar across his chest. There was clearly too much weight on the bar. Randy and Matthew tried their best to do it with their good hands, but were unsuccessful. Eric was groaning in pain, and Camilla came over to help. They finally managed to lift it off, shoving it to the side.

"Eric, what the hell? Are you okay?"

"I ... may ... have broken ... a rib ..."

"Goddammit. Camilla, call an ambulance! Hurry!"

The paramedics soon made it to the house, and Eric was rushed to the hospital. Camilla drove the brothers to the hospital, and the trio waited in the waiting room.

"Weren't we just here a couple of weeks ago?"

Randy chuckled uneasily. Matthew's attempt to inject humor in the situation wasn't very successful. Camilla clutched Matthew's good arm and was crying, worried for her good friend's health.

"He's gonna be okay, Camilla. Stop crying; it'll be alright. Just think of me in the bunny suit."

Camilla laughed and wiped the tears from her eyes and then gave Matthew a hug. Matt groaned a bit from the pain, but didn't do anything. He always considered himself a pillar on which Camilla could lean on, and he wasn't about to stop that now. After an hour, Eric came out of the double doors with his chest heavily bandaged. The trio ran up to him expecting an answer.

"Just ... bruised. Not broken."

"Oh, thank god!" Camilla squeezed Matthew harder than she did before, making Matthew groan louder than he did before as well. Randy smiled and gave Eric a high five, and the foursome walked out of the hospital, grateful that Eric wasn't the third member of the household to be incapacitated.

* * *

It was Halloween night. Camilla walked out of Matthew's room wearing her Cleopatra costume. She had just given Matthew his costume to put on and was headed to Randy's room to give him his. Eric couldn't take off his bandages, so he decided to wrap himself in them to become a mummy. Camilla and Eric waited downstairs for the two to come down. They prepared bags to hold their candy. 

Matthew walked out of his room at the same time as Randy did. They took one look at each other and shook their heads.

"No one knows about this. If Hunter finds out, we'll never hear the end of it."

"Agreed."

Reluctantly, the brothers started to walk down the stairs. Hearing this, Eric decided to embarrass them further.

"Introducing first, at a combined weight of 476 pounds, the team of the Bunny and the Teletubby!"

Camilla was laughing her head off when Matthew and Randy made their way to the bottom of the staircase. Soon afterwards, the doorbell rang. Eric and Camilla were too busy laughing to get up and get the door. Matthew went up to the door and opened it, but slammed it shut after seeing who was on the other side.

" ... I'm out of here."

"What? Who was it?" Randy asked.

"Hunter, Flair, and Dave. I'm not standing in front of them wearing this."

It was too late. Camilla had opened the door. The three men were wearing costumes themselves, but nothing as humiliating as Matthew and Randy were. Camilla motioned to the door as everyone was ready to go trick-or-treating. Matthew leaned over to Randy and said to him, "We're getting Camilla back for this."

"Definitely."

Everyone but the brothers was laughing as they all walked off, bags waiting for candy.

* * *

_Halloween passes by and Thanksgiving comes upon the Orton household. Will Randy ever find someone? Will Eric will a rematch against Batista? And will Matthew and Randy get revenge on Camilla for making them silly costumes?_

_Hope you liked it! Please review!  
_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	14. Celebrations

_Thanksgiving and Christmas in the Orton household. A time for family bonding as well as some surprises. Hope you like it and don't forgot to read and review!_

* * *

Randy was reading a book as he sat outside on the patio, the sun shining down on a cool, autumn day. Every once in a while, he would get a call from someone yelling 'Time for Teletubbies!' into the phone. It happened at least two or three times a day; he was certain Matthew got similar calls with something about a bunny. It was already close to Thanksgiving with less than two weeks from the yearly feast. Survivor Series was later on that night, and the whole gang planned a viewing party. Hunter would have his hands full; the first Elimination Chamber match was taking place. Shawn Michaels, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Chris Jericho, and Kane were going to be in that cage with Triple H. Randy knew Matthew would be rooting for someone to eliminate Kane as soon as they could. Suddenly, a blur passed by where Randy was sitting. 

"Hey, Randy!"

Orton looked up to see someone running away from him; he surmised it to be Eric, who was doing laps around the house. Randy went back to his book as Matthew and Camilla came out to the patio and sat down with Randy, who was surprised to see Matthew without his sling.

"Whoa ... Matt, put your sling back on."

"I don't think I need it anymore. Look."

Matthew slowly moved his right arm in a full circle to the amazement of his brother.

"It hurts if I move it fast or if I lift something heavy, but I think I can finally get rid of that stupid sling."

Randy was cautious, but a big smile appeared on his face. "You'll be back in the ring in no time." But when Matt went off with Camilla to get some drinks and snacks, Randy smile was replaced with a jealous frown. Matt was healing a lot faster than he was; his little brother might be healed by the Royal Rumble in January. _"Heck, he might even be **in** the Royal Rumble match itself"_, Randy thought. _"I can't wait to get back in the ring."_

The couple came back out with fruit and water and spent the rest of the afternoon with Randy out in the sun. Eric kept waving every lap around the house and ended up jumping straight into the pool after tiring himself out. Camilla also jumped in and Matthew walked down the stairs into the water. Randy still sat at the patio table, book in hand.

_"God damn this shoulder."_

Before they knew it, the time for Survivor Series had come. Chips, dip, veggies, fruit, every sort of finger food was on the coffee table. Eric plopped down onto the couch, exhausted from his tough day of training. He sprawled out, covering the whole couch. Matthew, a little annoyed, sat down on Eric's stomach, blowing the air out of him.

"Oh ... didn't see you there, Eric. I just thought we got a new couch."

"Not ... funny ... ughh ..."

Matt chuckled and got up to let Eric recover, but Camilla did the exact same thing. Randy followed suit, and Eric was on the floor catching his breath. The first five matches were exciting, but the gang only wanted to see the Elimination Chamber match. Matthew only paid attention to the Elimination Tables match between the team of Jeff Hardy, Bubba Ray Dudley, and Spike Dudley and the team of 3 Minute Warning: Rosey, Jamal, and Rico. They were on RAW, and Matthew wanted to learn more about his potential opponents.

During the middle four matches, the sound of dice rolling and the occasional "Yahtzee!" was heard throughout the house. Soon enough, the video package of the Elimination Chamber started to play, and everyone focused on the television. Grunting, Matthew lifted his right arm and put it around Camilla, who smiled and leaned her head against Matthew's chest. Randy looked over at the couple with mixed emotion. He was happy that Matthew had someone, but Randy couldn't stand that he didn't have someone to put his arm around. Each of the competitors made their entrance with the whole house erupting into cheers for Triple H. The Game started out the match against Rob Van Dam.

And then, the bell rang.

Van Dam kept using his array of fast kicks and aerial moves, but Hunter countered with power moves and clotheslines. Chris Jericho was the next to come in, and Hunter was double teamed immediately. Jericho missed a moonsault, and Van Dam hit a frog splash on the fallen Canadian. Booker T was the next to come in, and launched himself across the ring and hit a missile dropkick on RVD.

"1, 2, 3!"

RVD was the first eliminated, and Hunter regained the upper hand in the match. Jericho was still reeling from Van Dam's frog splash while Triple H wailed on Booker T in one of the corners. The timer counted down again, and Kane entered the match. Matthew went crazy, yelling at Booker, Hunter, and Jericho to destroy the Big Red Machine. Unluckily, Kane grabbed Booker by the neck and delivered a monstrous chokeslam straight from hell.

"1, 2, 3!"

Booker T was the second elimination, and the match was down to three again. Hunter and a recovered Jericho worked together to beat down Kane, but were met with headbutts that sent them to the floor. The countdown appeared once again, and the Heartbreak Kid was patiently waiting for it to run out. Coming out of his part of the cage, Shawn immediately delivered a quick Sweet Chin Music to Kane. It didn't knock him down, and Hunter hit the Pedigree. Jericho jumped off the middle rope and hit the Lionsault to finish off Matthew's nemesis.

"1, 2, 3!"

Once again, the match was down to three competitors. Jericho and Triple H fought it out in one of the corners with Shawn hanging back, waiting for an opportunity to deliver another massive super kick. Hunter came out of the corner, and Shawn let the music fly. Hunter dodged and Michaels' kick hit Jericho instead.

"1, 2, 3!"

The two former D-Generation X buddies were left standing in the middle of the ring. Hunter and Shawn stared each other down and started exchanging punches. The whole room was going crazy, shouting at the TV to encourage Triple H. After momentum swinging back and forth between the two men, Triple H managed to put HBK in the position for the Pedigree. Both the crowd and the living room were in suspense. Suddenly, Shawn squirmed out and laid HHH out with another Sweet Chin Music.

"**NO!**", yelled the brothers. Hunter had lost the World Heavyweight Championship. Randy knew that he and Matthew were going to feel Hunter's anger once they met up together again. Eric winced and Camilla hugged Matthew apologetically, but Matt wasn't exactly sad. It would be easier for either himself or Randy to get the belt. In his dream situation, they would be the World Tag Team Champions and hold the Intercontinental and World Heavyweight titles between them. Almost as if telepathically, Randy looked over at Matthew in agreement.

* * *

Randy could smell the turkey from his room. He was looking at a piece of paper he had received on his last visit to the doctor with Matthew. Mixed feelings in his head, he couldn't decide when to show Matthew. His brother would be cleared to go back to competition on January 8th, nearly a month before his own date of February 3rd. Randy quickly put the paper away when Matthew walked into the room.

"Its ready. Everyone's waiting for you downstairs."

The two brothers walked downstairs together, seeing Camilla, Eric, Dave, Hunter, Flair, and their parents sitting at the table. It was Thanksgiving and dinner was sizzling on the title. Matthew and Randy sat down and Elaine started the prayer.

"Lord, this year has been extraordinary. First, our oldest son made his debut successfully on SmackDown, beating Hardcore Holly." The table erupted in applause while Randy smirked and Matthew slapped him on the back. "Then, in what must have been the greatest blessing since our boys were born, you gave us our baby back." A tear rolled down Elaine's face and Randy wrapped his good arm around Matthew. "And just like his grandfather, his father, and his brother before him, he's got the wrestling genes. He debuted on SmackDown and won against John Cena." Once again, the applause rang out and Randy slapped his brother's back with a smile on his face. "And we know that you work in mysterious ways, Lord. What happened to both Randy and Matthew only gave us more time to spend together and catch up on the years our family was apart. We pray to you, Lord, for us to stay together and grow as a family. Oh, and bless this food too. We thank you for that. Amen."

The family ate heartily, with the guys not paying attention to any sort of diet. Afterwards, Hunter pulled Matthew, Randy, and Eric aside to talk business. HHH was still pissed off from Survivor Series.

"Listen ... when the hell do you two come back?"

Matthew shrugged his shoulders, but Randy quickly replied. "February 3rd." The younger Orton grimaced, thinking that February was still way too far ahead. Hunter muttered an obscenity and walked around the room with his hands on his hips. Randy could see the anger in the Game's eyes and was starting to get concerned.

"Just get him back at Armageddon."

Hunter chuckled. "I know. That won't be a problem. I just want Evolution formed **now**. After Survivor Series, I haven't been taken seriously enough. With you guys behind me, I'll be the most respected Superstar in the WWE again."

Matthew narrowed his eyes in protest, but Randy stole the attention away from his brother. "We'll take care of anyone who gets in your way, Hunter."

"Good. Now, if you don't mind, I can smell your mother's pumpkin pie."

Randy could tell that Matthew was a bit irritated and pulled him upstairs to his room.

"Randy, the only reason he wants us in his group is so we can have his back?! Its not to train us or put us in the limelight! All he wants us to do is keep that belt on him!"

"Calm down, you idiot! Hunter will hear you!" Randy proceeded to close and lock the bedroom door. "I don't care why HHH wants us in Evolution. All that matters to me is that we're gonna work together as a team." Matthew started heading for the door, his face red as a tomato. "Wait! Matthew, just hear me out. If you go down there and raise a ruckus right now, Hunter could end your career right here and now."

Matthew sighed. "I just don't want us to be used as pawns. We can do better than that."

"I know! We just have to wait for the right time. That's been my plan all along. Once we've got the right experience, we'll turn on Evolution, take all the titles, and prove that the Orton name is the best in this business!"

There was a long pause before Matthew responded. "I hope to God your plan plays out, Randy. I didn't get into the WWE to be someone's lackey."

"If it doesn't pan out, you can kick my ass all over the ring. You have my word on that."

Matthew smiled. "Now, there's one thing I **do** want to do. You've got yourself a deal."

* * *

By the time Christmas had rolled around, everything was right side up in the world of Evolution. Triple H had won back the World Heavyweight Championship at Armageddon against Shawn Michaels in an incredibly brutal Three Stages of Hell match. Matthew had almost full movement in his shoulder and Randy had finally discarded his sling. Eric had impressed Triple H so much in a sparring match that Eric received his debut match nearly a month earlier than scheduled. The week before Armageddon on RAW, Matthew and Randy watched on as Eric defeated Maven.

The morning of December 25th, Matthew woke up at 5:30 in the morning and ran down the stairs as if he were a little kid again. He wasn't expecting to see any presents in the middle of the living room like he expected as a child, but Matthew was shocked upon reaching the base of the staircase.

There were two gifts in the middle of the room. Stunned, Matthew walked over and had a peek. They were two small boxes, one having Matthew's name and the other with Eric's. Matt thought this was the doing of his brother and Camilla; they both went out on the day after Thanksgiving to hit the big sales. He fought the temptation to open his box right then and there; it was incredibly difficult to overcome the child-like instinct that was overwhelming his mind right now. He sat down in the recliner and stared at the presents. Matthew was soon yawning and fell asleep right in the recliner.

Matthew woke up to a glass of water poured in his face. Randy was standing over him with what looked like a thin piece of wrapping paper.

"Wake up, sleepyhead! Its Christmas morning. Time to open presents."

With his eyes barely open, Matthew looked around to see Camilla, Eric, Randy, and his parents sitting around the Christmas tree. Camilla gave her boyfriend his first present of the morning.

"You'll love it. Especially since you love board games so much."

Ripping open the long rectangular box, Matthew's eyes widened to see a WWE version of Monopoly.

"Oh my GOD! We have to play this right now!"

"Hold on, tiger. We've still got all these other presents to open."

Camilla opened her present from Matthew to find a small heart-shaped charm in a box. Eric got a new set of wrestling gear from Elaine and Randy opened his gift from Matthew to find a custom-made shirt with the letters "RKO" on the front.

"For when you muster up the courage to hit the RKO on me."

Randy smiled and gave Matthew the wrapped envelope in his hand.

"What's this? A piece of paper?"

"Yeah ... it actually is."

Matthew shot a confused look at his brother. _"How the hell could a piece of paper be a gift?"_, he thought to himself. But when he read what was on the paper, Matthew stood straight up in shock.

"January 8th? I can go back to the ring then? When ... when did you know about this?"

"From the time we saw the doctor back before Thanksgiving. I just waited for the right time to give it to you."

Matthew ran over and hugged Randy tightly.

"Randy, this is quite possibly the best Christmas present I've ever gotten."

Randy smiled and hugged Matthew back despite the stiffness in his left arm.

As Matthew ended the hug and sat back down, the best friends smiled at each other, realizing they would be working together in the ring earlier than expected. After the dust settled, the only gifts remaining were the two that Matthew found when he woke up that morning. Camilla tossed one to Eric and one to Matthew. They both opened it at the same time, finding another smaller box and a piece of paper.

Matthew started to read it. "Merry Christmas, kid. Randy told me when you were really scheduled to come back to the ring and decided to give you and Eric one hell of a gift. You'll be facing off against Eric in your comeback match this Monday on RAW."

Eric and Matthew looked at each again, this time with a sly grin on each of their faces. "Now I get to pay you back from when you slammed me down on the ground that night in the living room."

"Psh ... that won't happen."

Matthew laughed and continued to read the note. "Also, in the smaller box is something you'll both freak out over. Consider it an official welcome to Evolution." The note was signed by HHH. "P.S. They were random, so don't blame me if it sucks."

Camilla cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Evolution?"

"It's what we're gonna call ourselves when we're all back in the ring together. We're gonna be six strong and be an unstoppable force on RAW", answered Randy.

Matthew and Eric both opened the smaller boxes to find little plastic capsules. Eric immediately knew what was inside.

"These ... these are Royal Rumble numbers!"

"What?", Matthew answered in surprise. "No way! No freakin' way!"

Eric smashed his plastic open and furiously opened the strip of folded paper inside. "Holy crap! **... I've got number 25!**"

Matthew ran over and took the paper from Eric and stared at it in awe.

"25?! You lucky bastard!" Matthew punched Eric in the shoulder.

"Go open yours!"

Randy tossed Matthew his capsule and he hastily opened it. Unfolding the paper in his hand, he looked at the bold number in earnest. The smile on his face vanished as he realized his entry number.

"Well? What is it?"

Matthew, out of anger, balled up the number and threw it at Eric. Randy and Camilla sat there in shock as Matthew stormed up the stairs and into his room, slamming the door behind him. Eric picked up the paper, uncrumpled it, and groaned at what he saw.

"Dude ... that sucks. He's number three."

* * *

_Well. Highs and lows come in pairs. Who will win the "friendly competition" on RAW between Eric and Matthew? And how will the best friends fare in the 30-man over-the-top-rope Royal Rumble?_

_R&R_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	15. Bewilderment

_Matthew makes his return to competition against his best friend. After the match, Camilla makes a move that will shock one of the characters. Also, Matt enters at #3 in the Royal Rumble. _

_Hope you like it! Please don't forget to read and review. _

* * *

Both Matthew and Eric were intensely training once January 8th came and went. RAW was only five days away, and they weren't going to waste any time. Eric had the advantage obviously, but Matthew was quickly regaining lost ground. Randy was helping his brother with lifting weights, jogging, and restoring the lost muscle tone in Matt's left arm. Eric was focusing more on his technique, trying to incorporate more power moves such as suplex and takedowns into his arsenal. Camilla remained impartial, supporting both by both verbal encouragement and poking fun at them whenever they seemed too stressed out.

Monday had finally arrived, and Matthew, Eric, Camilla, and Randy had touched down in Houston, Texas. Batista met them to take the group to the arena and smiled at seeing the younger Orton finally fully recovered.

"Ready to kick some ass, Matt?"

Matthew chuckled and nodded, still sensing the resentment towards Eric in Dave's voice. He was actually surprised that Dave called him by his name and not 'kid'. Eric sighed and shook his head. Dave glared at Eric with a smirk on his face.

"All you gotta do is beat me one day, kid."

Eric replied under his breath when they started walking towards the car, "I'll beat your ass all over the ring, Dave. Bank on it." Eric shook off his grudge with Batista and went back to focusing on his match against his best friend. Matthew was definitely a grappler; Eric would have to try to keep Matthew on the mat. Submission seemed like the best way to go, but Matthew had gotten better at resisting holds. This was definitely going to be one hell of a challenge.

Night fell, and the opening pyro for RAW shook the arena, eliciting screams and cheers from the fans. The match would be the opening one of the night; Bischoff wanted to prime the crowd for the more exciting main event involving Triple H and Shawn Michaels. Soon enough, Matt and Eric stood behind the curtain, waiting for their music to hit. Camilla and Randy were with them, exchanging hugs, handshakes, and good luck wishes. Matt had a last second idea.

"Let's put a little wager down on this match. If I win, we switch Royal Rumble numbers."

"And if I win?"

Matt was thinking when Batista walked out from around the corner and answered for him. "Tell ya what. If you win, kid, you gain my respect. Any man who can beat Orton here is okay in my book."

Eric smiled. "Done."

Matthew heard his music start and slammed fists with Eric. He walked out onto the stage to a mixed reaction from the crowd. Matthew stood at the top and took all of it in, the good and the bad. It felt incredible to be back in competition, to compete in front of thousands of people and millions watching at home. Most importantly, he was competing for the first time in front of Camilla, and he wouldn't disappoint her.

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, from San Antonio, Texas, weighing in at 245 pounds, Matthew Orton!"

Matthew knew that his increased weight wasn't all muscle, but that didn't matter to him right now. He climbed into the ring, stood on the second turnbuckle in one of the corners, and raised his arms high in the air. As he was drinking in the moment, Eric's music hit and Matt's best friend walked out onto the stage to an incredible explosion of applause and cheers. Matt laughed in awe on the reaction Eric was getting, and started to clap as he made his way down the ramp.

"Introducing his opponent, also from San Antonio, Texas, weighing in at 223 pounds, Eric Barringer!"

To Matt's surprise, Eric didn't wait for the bell. Eric slid into the ring and went right to work on his best friend, delivering punch after punch, catching Matthew off guard. The referee finally called for the bell while Eric still pummeled on Matthew. Finally, Eric let off and whipped Matthew to the ropes, clotheslining him down hard to the ground. Matthew got back up and received another clothesline to the ground. Getting up, he saw Eric running towards him for another one, but ducked, turned around, and caught Eric with a belly-to-belly suplex. Matthew stumbled to the turnbuckle to catch his breath. Looking over and Eric getting to his feet, Matthew went over and locked a sleeper hold on his best friend.

Randy smiled backstage. _"Taking a page from my book, eh?"_

Eric was already down to one knee. Matthew knew that he needed to stop any kind of momentum Eric was trying to build; sucking all the energy out of Eric would flatout stop him in his tracks. He could see Eric's arms sag, and Matthew smiled. The referee lifted an arm. It fell. For a second time, it was lifted. It fell again. _"Just one more. One more."_ The ref lifted Eric's arm for a third time, but it stayed in the air. The smirk on Matt's face disappeared and he soon received several elbows to the stomach. Eric gained a second wind, and shoved his opponent to the corner. He lifted Matt onto the turnbuckle and climbed to the top himself. Randy and Camilla were wide-eyed looking at the monitor, knowing that a superplex was coming. The crowd went wild as Eric put Matt's arm in the suplex position. Realizing that he was about to go flying through the air, Matt started to punch Eric in the stomach, then pushed him off the turnbuckle. Eric was in the perfect position. Adjusting his position, Matt put himself ready to fly and launched his body in the air for a somersault leg drop, connecting hard with Eric's neck. He quickly went for the three count.

"1, 2, ..."

Eric managed to lift his shoulder off the ground. Matthew was frustrated, wanting this match to be over. Not thinking, Matthew repositioned himself for another leg drop and leaped, but met nothing but hard canvas. Randy knew that would happen.

"When Matthew gets frustrated, he loses his focus", he told Camilla. "He needs to learn not to burst his cap this early in the match." Camilla nodded in agreement, biting her nails.

Eric, grasping at his neck, got up and lifted Matt off the ground. A series of backbreakers ensued, sending shot after shot of pain up Matthew's spine. With Matthew writhing in pain, Eric saw his chance and locked in what he considered his signature move: a Camel Clutch. Eric turned Matt on his stomach, straddled his back, locked Matt's arms around his knees, and pulled back on his neck, sitting down hard.

Matthew felt nothing but pain. The air was being kept from his lungs and it felt like there was a 2-ton anvil on his lower back. There was no way he could get closer to the ropes. Moving was out of the question. The crowd became fuzzy, and he couldn't hear much of anything.

_"No ... not ... tonight."_

Matt got his left arm free and waved it wildly, hitting Eric in the eye. The hold was broken, and Matthew struggled to regain his breath. Eric stumbled over to the ropes and Matt, in an act of desperation, charged and clotheslined his friend over the top rope. While Eric was getting up, Matthew crawled over to an opposite corner to rest. Eric didn't give Matt much time, however. Once back inside the ring, Eric started to exchange punches with Matt, one by one. Matt connected with one that sent Eric back into the ropes. When Eric rebounded, Matt kicked him in the stomach to set up for the MKO. The crowd started to boo, Randy and Camilla were cheering, and Eric dreaded what was coming. Matt lifted his opponent up with all his remaining willpower and slammed him down, head first into the mat. Both men were now on their backs, devoid of any energy whatsoever. The crowd was chanting Eric's name, and Randy tried to counter with a chant of his own for his brother. The referee had already counted to five, but neither competitor was moving. Matt suddenly sat up, much like how the Undertaker would. Eric replied with an HBK-like nip up. The crowd went crazy as it seemed both men were rejuvenated. Matt ran at Eric, but was caught and powerslammed. Eric dragged his opponent to the center of the ring and applied the Camel Clutch once more.

_"This ... is ... too much."_

Randy could see the look of defeat on Matt's face. Batista really couldn't believe his eyes; he was about to see Orton either tap out or pass out. In the ring, Matt had managed to free another arm, but Eric was smart enough to lean back enough so it couldn't hit him in the face. The referee kept asking Matthew if he wanted to continue, getting repeated 'No's. Eric pulled back on Matt's throat one last time, and Matt couldn't take it anymore.

"_**I GIVE UP!"**_

Eric let go of Matthew, who fell face first to the mat. The referee called for the bell and raised Eric's arm, who ran up to the turnbuckle and raised his arms in the air in triumph.

"Here is your winner, Eric Barringer!"

Randy, Dave, and Camilla were clapping backstage and the whole arena erupted in applause. Although he was face down on the mat in pain, Matthew was silently applauding his best friend. He rolled over on his back to see Eric's hand extended down to him. Matt accepted it and Eric pulled him up to his feet. The two embraced, and Matt raised Eric's arm. Matt could see some of the looks of hatred towards him turn into smiles and cheers, and a grin appeared on his face. Both men slipped out of the ring and walked up the ramp together to Eric's entrance music. Once they were behind the curtain, Matt had one arm grabbing his neck and the other on his back when he spotted Triple H and Ric Flair joining Randy, Dave, and Camilla.

Batista walked up to Eric and looked down at him. "You did awesome out there, Barringer." Eric felt like he had just won the World Heavyweight Title. Hunter and Flair came around to Eric and shook hands.

"Eric, you'll go far in this business. Trust me", Hunter said.

Camilla tended to her injured boyfriend by getting him an ice pack to put on his back. Randy went over and congratulated his brother on a well-fought match. The night was over for them; Matthew would welcome the softness of the bed at the hotel.

* * *

Saturday night rolled around, and the gang was in Boston, Massachusetts for tomorrow night's Royal Rumble. On the plane ride there, Eric couldn't stop talking about how much he loved the Rumble, claiming it was the best match of the whole year. He sat beside Matt and Dave, who would also be participating. Much to Matt's chagrin, Batista had drawn #28. 

"Damn ... I'm not catching a break."

Eric interrupted, "Are we gonna work together once all three of us are in?"

Dave replied. "Well, if Orton over here can survive twenty-eight entrants, I think we may have a shot at making the Final Three."

"Then I'll toss both of you out", Matt quipped.

The three men started to argue on who would be the last man standing while Randy and Camilla listened, sitting in the row behind them.

"Do you think Matt can last until Eric and Dave make it in?", she asked Randy.

"I don't know. Matt's too easily distracted and someone will take advantage of that."

The two sat in silence for a bit before Camilla put a hand on Randy's. Randy looked down in shock, then at Camilla who planted a wet one right on his cheek.

"What the hell are you doing?", Randy whispered to her. "Matt would kill me!" Randy was apprehensive, but that feeling came back to him. That feeling of being loved. His emotions were in a blender set on purée right now; Randy didn't know whether or not to kiss her back. For the rest of the ride to Boston, Randy sat there uneasily. He knew his brother would be able to tell that something was wrong.

The afternoon had passed quickly, and the Royal Rumble had finally started. In addition to Matt, Eric, and Dave being in the Rumble, Triple H would defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Scott Steiner. Hunter was scared of Big Poppa Pump, although he wouldn't admit it. His plan was to get himself disqualified so he could keep the belt. The group watched backstage as Hunter tried desperately to disqualify himself, but referee Earl Hebner wouldn't let that happen. Hunter had to resort to whacking Steiner in the back with a sledgehammer to keep his title.

After Kurt Angle won his match with Chris Benoit, Matthew stood up anxiously. The Royal Rumble was next. Camilla gave him a kiss, Randy gave him a hug, and Eric shook his hand.

"I'll see you out there."

"I better."

Matt smiled and went over to Batista, who pumped each other up with chest bumps and a little bit of a shouting match. Camilla laughed as Matthew interacted with his tag team partner. Matt left the room, and Camilla pulled Randy into a separate room.

"Camilla, listen. I ..."

"Eric told me everything." Randy stopped in his tracks. "I kissed you on the plane ride to help you."

"Help me? How did that help me?"

"Love is a crucial emotion. Without it, there's a part of you thats empty inside. I'm trying to fill that."

"But ... I need to find someone on my own. I can't just take you away from Matthew! You love him!"

"Matthew will always be my love, but you aren't complete without someone in your life." She leaned in and kissed Randy on the lips, who pushed her away immediately.

"I can't do this. I just can't. I can't risk breaking the bond I've formed with Matt. He's my brother. Taking his girlfriend away is like committing suicide."

Randy walked out of the room and out of the locker room completely. Eric was confused as Camilla walked out behind him.

"Randy, wait! Please, Randy!" Orton turned around and looked at Camilla.

"Don't you even think about what would happen if Matthew found out about this?"

"He wouldn't do a thing. He already knows I like to flirt with other guys, and he's fine with it."

"But kissing?! Camilla, he'd rip my head off!"

"Randy, I..."

"No. I'm not letting you wreck my relationship with Matt. I don't need your help to find love."

Randy walked off down the hall as Camilla turned around to see Eric. He had been listening.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen ... it is now time for the Royal Rumble match!" 

Shawn Michaels was in the ring; he was the #1 entrant in the Rumble. Triple H had known this and instructed Matt to take him out immediately. Chris Jericho, who, oddly enough, chose to be the #2 entrant, started to wail on Michaels as the bell rang. Matthew knew that focus was going to be the whole point of this match. Being aware of your surroundings at all times so no one could have a chance to take advantage and eliminate him. Every 90 seconds a new Superstar would come out; Matt was going to try to keep a mental stopwatch going to keep track. Hunter gave him a lengthy lecture on strategy; The Game had won the Rumble himself last year.

The next thing Matt heard was the audience counting down.

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, ..."

"_Oh jeez. God help me."_

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Matthew's music hit, and he stepped out onto the entryway. The crowd was cheering for him this time, and Matthew appreciated it; he was going to need every sort of encouragement he could get. Sliding into the ring, Jericho immediately went after him with right hands. Whipped to the ropes, Jericho attempted a clothesline, but Matt ducked and leveled Jericho with his own. Turning around, all he saw was a foot. Michaels had delivered Sweet Chin Music. Matthew was out like a light, but Jericho had popped back into the ring with a steel chair, smacking HBK with it. Shawn was bleeding and Jericho promptly tossed him over.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

The buzzer woke Matthew up, and Rey Mysterio was on his way to the ring. He went straight after Jericho, and Matthew huddled in the corner to shake off the effects of HBK's Sweet Chin Music. Mysterio and Jericho were flying every which way around the ring, almost landing on Matthew a couple of times. Once Matthew regained his composure, he joined Mysterio in pounding on Jericho. Matt managed to pull off a belly-to-back suplex, which left Jericho leaning against the second rope. Orton moved out the way, and the crowd yelled out "**619**" as Mysterio executed his signature move on Y2J.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

_"You think you know me..."_

Edge was on his way to the ring. Matthew didn't like this; Edge and Mysterio were tag team partners on SmackDown, and he knew that they would work together this early in the Rumble. Edge slipped into the ring, and immediately speared Jericho. While Jericho was laid out on the mat, Orton, Edge, and Mysterio all climbed up to a turnbuckle. The crowd's volume was shaking the building as Jericho stumbled to his feet. Mysterio and Edge both flew at the same time, landing a double missile dropkick. Y2J was down again, and Matthew launched himself on Jericho with a somersault leg drop.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Christian was #6. For the first time in the match, Matt initiated the fight, laying Christian out with a spear of his own. Edge joined him and the two stomped on Christian while Mysterio worked on Jericho. Edge and Orton worked surprisingly well together, with Edge leveling Christian with another spear and Matthew hitting the MKO on Edge's brother. The crowd cheered as Edge picked up Christian and tossed him over the top rope. Once again, Edge, Orton, and Mysterio started to wail on Jericho. However, Matthew saw an opportunity and clotheslined Edge over the top rope, who landed hard on the floor. Turning around, Mysterio dropkicked Matthew and sent him over the top rope, but Matthew landed on the apron. Orton tried to climb back in, but Edge had his leg and tried to pull him off. Matthew struggled to stay on the apron and saw Mysterio running toward him. Matthew ducked and pulled down the top rope, sending Mysterio over and into Edge.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

**STAND BACK! THERE'S A HURRICANE COMIN' THROUGH!**

Matthew climbed back into the ring and sighed. _"This is going to be a long night."_

Meanwhile, Randy had walked all the way back to the hotel and was sitting on his bed. Part of him wanted to go back and watch Matthew in the Rumble, but the other wanted to stay the hell away from Camilla.

_"What the hell is she trying to do? Does she **want** to cause a rift between Matt and I? Or is she really trying to ... 'help' ... me?"_

The one thing that was constantly nagging Randy was, for a second or two, Randy felt complete. It was exactly like Camilla had said. Randy shook his head and looked down at the floor.

_"This is not going to turn out well."_

Matthew was also thinking this as he was getting assaulted by the Hurricane. Chris Jericho joined in and double-teamed Orton in the corner. Jericho attempted a running splash, but Matt moved out of the way, sending Jericho into the turnbuckle. Matt whipped the Hurricane straight into Jericho, and now they were both staggering in the corner. Orton ran and hit both of them with a running splash.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Chavo Guerrero, one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions, made his way as to the ring as the #8 entrant. He went after the Hurricane, who was still reeling from Orton's splash. Jericho had recovered and was battling with Matthew in the opposite corner of the ring. Matt countered a right hand with a low blow, and started to push Chris over the top rope. The Hurricane, strangely, came over to help Orton eliminate Jericho after leaving Guerrero in pain on the mat. Matt looked over at the Hurricane in confusion, but he didn't complain. They had succeeded in pushing Jericho over the top rope, but Chris fell on the apron and rolled back in.

"Why the hell are you helping me?", Matt asked the superhero.

"I don't hold a grudge."

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

The lights went out and red fire burst forth in the entrance way. Kane was entrant #9, and Matthew couldn't believe it.

"He might, though." Hurricane said, pointing to his former tag team partner. Matt stood anchored to the middle of the ring, facing down the rapidly approaching Big Red Machine. To his surprise, Kane didn't immediately get into the ring. He pulled up the apron and was looking for something. To his horror, Matt saw a lead pipe in Kane's hand, similar to the one he attacked Kane with the week before their Hell in a Cell match. Guerrero, Jericho, and the Hurricane moved out of the way to allow Kane swinging room. Matt ducked under the first swing and attacked Kane's legs, chopping his knees out from under him. Matt began stomping on th knees to keep Kane down; tossing him over wasn't as important as keeping Kane from being able to eliminate Matt. Soon enough, Kane dropped the lead pipe, and Orton picked it up. He mulled over using it, but tossed it aside.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Tommy Dreamer came out as the #10 entrant, complete with trash can Matt was sure that was filled with weapons. Two kendo sticks were in there; Matt went to grab one, ducking a swing from Dreamer. The two went to work on Kane with the kendo sticks, smacking the red freak across the head and face repeatedly. Jericho used what was left in the trash can to attack the Hurricane, who went flying over the top rope and down to the floor. Chavo tried to counter and take the weapon away from Jericho, only to receive a whack in the head with it. Kane sat up and grabbed Dreamer and Orton by the neck and chokeslammed them both. Jericho tried to eliminate Kane with his weapon, but was blocked. Kane grabbed Jericho, lifted him up in the air, and sent him flying to the concrete below.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Randy had walked back to the arena, too anxious to miss Matt in the Rumble.

"Where you been, Orton?", Dave queried.

"Um ... I went to go get something to eat. I was a little hungry. How's Matt doing?"

"10 guys have come in so far. He's eliminated Mysterio and Edge and he's dealing with Kane right now."

"Kane?!" Randy frantically looked at the monitor to see his brother being chokeslammed. Randy thought to himself, _"There's no way he'll make it much longer."  
_

* * *

_One-third of the way through the Rumble and Matt has survived. Can he survive 14 more until Eric gets into the fray? And what is Camilla's motivation for advancing on Randy?_

_R&R, please. _

_SuspiciousInitials_


	16. Endurance

_Matt has survived to entrant #10 in the Royal Rumble. Can he pull through and last to the end? And will Eric spill the beans on what transpired between Camilla and Randy?_

_The timer has counted down to the next chapter of this story! **buzz!**_

* * *

Bull Buchanan, or "B-Squared" as he called himself, made his way to the ring. Five men were now in the ring ... well ... four men and a freak. Buchanan, Guerrero, Dreamer, and Orton all grabbed a weapon and started to go to work on Kane. Without him in the Rumble, they would all stand more of a chance to win. Tommy and Matthew still had their kendo sticks and Chavo and Buchanan had picked up street signs. Kane was on the mat, slowly losing consciousness. The timer started to count down again. 

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Rob Van Dam's music started to play and Matthew remembered that he and Kane were tag team partners now.

"Chavo, Buchanan! You two get RVD! We'll take care of Kane!"

They nodded and waited for Van Dam to make it to the ring. Dreamer and Orton picked Kane up and Matthew hit the MKO. Kane was out for a few precious seconds; everyone used that time to assault RVD. Dreamer held back and hit Matthew in the back with his kendo stick, which sent Matt in a frenzy. He started to duel with Dreamer, acting as if the kendo sticks were swords. Matt dodged an overhead swing and whacked Dreamer straight in the face, sending him against the ropes. Charging, Orton clotheslined Dreamer over the top rope.

_"Three eliminated so far..."_

Matt turned around to see RVD and Kane standing in his face; Buchanan and Guerrero had been eliminated by the tag team and were outside the ring. Matthew started to shake, dropping the kendo stick without thinking about it. The crowd started to cheer as the tag team assaulted Matthew; Tommy Dreamer was a fan favorite and they weren't very happy about Matthew eliminating him.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Matt Hardy ran down to the ring, taking RVD's attention off Orton. While Kane was also distracted, Matthew hit a low blow on Kane, making him stagger around for a few seconds. Orton pushed Kane to the ropes and desperately tried to clothesline Kane over, but with no success. Kane was simply too big; it was going to take more than one person to toss him over the top rope.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Eddie Guerrero was now in the fray, letting loose on RVD with Matt Hardy. Matthew had slipped out of the ring under the bottom rope to grab another weapon, anything to make it easier to eliminate Kane. Matthew spotted the lead pipe he threw away earlier, but shied away from it. Instead, he opted for a steel chair found under the ring. Kane gave chase, and Matt used anything he could to keep Kane away. Nothing seemed to work, however, including chair shots and shoving the steel steps in Kane's way. Every time he made a trip around the ring, Orton saw the lead pipe sticking out from under the ring. Last time, that lead pipe brought out the worst in him; Matt had never beaten someone so horrendously. Reluctantly, Matthew picked up the pipe and threw it square at Kane's head. It hit successfully with a loud thud, and Kane fell to the ground. Looking up to the ring, he saw Matt Hardy parading around with his stupid little "V1" hand thing. Van Dam and Guerrero were flat on the mat, and Matthew heard the crowd start to count down.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Jeff Hardy sprinted to the ring as the #15 entrant. He faced down his surprised brother in the ring; the two Hardys hadn't been the best of friends as of late. After Matt tried to convince Jeff to team up together, Jeff started attacking his brother, much to the delight of the crowd. Jeff delivered the Twist of Fate, and Matt Hardy was out like a light. Van Dam and Guerrero were back on their feet. Jeff went up to the top rope, preparing for a Swanton Bomb. Van Dam climbed up himself, and Guerrero followed suit. Orton shrugged and climbed up the remaining turnbuckle. One by one starting with Jeff, all four men executed their aerial maneuvers: Jeff's Swanton Bomb, Van Dam and Guerrero's Five Star Frog Splashes, and Orton's somersault leg drop. Afterwards, Jeff promptly tossed his brother out of the Rumble.

Matthew looked up to see the timer start. _"Halfway ... through ..."_

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Rosey from Three Minute Warning made his way to the ring as #16, and Jeff Hardy decided to work together with Matthew to take him on. RVD and Guerrero started brawling in the opposite corner of the ring while Matthew and Jeff kept Rosey occupied with hit-and-run moves. The two smaller men were working well together keeping the bigger Rosey off guard, Matthew with strong punches and chops and Jeff with quick kicks and small aerial maneuvers. RVD had managed to make Guerrero teeter on the top rope on the other side of the ring as the time started to count down again.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

#17 was Test, and he slid into the ring and shoved both RVD and Guerrero over the top rope. Eddie landed on the floor, but Van Dam managed to slip back into the ring between the second and third ropes. Van Dam immediately ran towards Test and kicked him hard in the back of the head, which sent him straight into Rosey. Jeff and Matthew backed off and locked arms with RVD. The three charged Test and Rosey, sending them up and over the top rope. Just as they fell over, Kane stood back up and climbed back into the ring. RVD and Kane faced down Jeff Hardy and Matthew Orton just as the timer started to count down again.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

They were all a little confused when they heard someone ... rapping. John Cena had walked out onto the entryway and, instead of getting into the ring, he started to freestyle in front of the whole arena. Jeff and Matthew looked at each other and slid out of the ring towards Cena. Grabbing the rapper ... and a bad one at that ... by the neck, Hardy and Orton tossed Cena into the ring, where Van Dam and Kane went to work on him. After a Rolling Thunder and vicious chokeslam, Jeff and Matt simultaneously jumped off opposite turnbuckles and nailed Cena with a Swanton Bomb and a somersault leg drop. Kane went right back to work on Orton, quickly clotheslining him down after Matt got back up. Jeff and RVD resumed fighting, with RVD making Jeff teeter on the top rope.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Charlie Hass of Team Angle ran to the ring, and Matthew realized that another tag team would come into the Rumble. Shelton Benjamin, the other member of Team Angle, would _have_ to be entered in the Rumble as well. He hoped to get rid of RVD and Kane before Team Angle was up and running in the match. Haas went right after Kane with punches to the back, but was shoved down with one hand. Kane picked Matthew up and pushed him over the top rope, with Matthew locking his hands around the top and middle ropes. Not letting go, Kane continued to punch Matthew over and over again in hopes of getting Orton to let go. Kane was distracted when Haas attacked him again, this time with Jeff Hardy. Cena had also revived himself and started to go after Van Dam.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

The big man Rikishi came out to the ring as #20. Climbing in, he superkicked Cena down and dragged the rapper to the corner turnbuckle. RVD backed off and smiled as Rikishi promptly shoved his rather large ass directly into Cena's face. Matthew climbed back into the ring and saw Cena laying in the turnbuckle. Remembering his debut match against him, Orton charged and hit Cena square in the chest with a running dropkick. _"Damn, that felt good"_, Matt thought to himself. Cena had wanted a rematch against Orton, and this was going to be the closest they would get since Matt got drafted to RAW. Kane had succeeded in fending off Haas and Hardy, even tossing Hardy out to the floor.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

The other member of Three Minute Warning, Jamal, ran into the ring and faced off against Rikishi. It looked as if the two would work together, but Jamal turned on Rikishi and the last moment and superkicked the big man down. Cena jumped on Jamal's back in hopes of choking Jamal out, but was unsuccessful as Jamal fell backwards, smashing Cena against the mat. Charlie Haas and Matthew started to work together to eliminate Kane, but RVD pulled Haas off. Matt dodged a clothesline, and lifted Kane up for another MKO. Matthew looked forward to another few minutes of Kane-less action as the timer started to count down yet again, signaling the incoming of the #22 entrant.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Christopher Nowinski, the Harvard graduate, ran to the ring. Hesitant at first, he slowly crawled in and went after Rikishi. Cena and Nowinski teamed up to get rid of Jamal, making him balance on the top rope. With another shove, Three Minute Warning was completely eliminated from the Rumble. They then focused on Kane, much to the delight of Matthew, who sat in the corner to take a breather. He watched as RVD and Haas took on each other, but something moved in his field of vision. Looking up, he saw Rikishi's fat ass in front of him and slid out of the ring. Counting in his head, Matt realized that two more were to come out before Eric.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

The other member of Team Angle made his way to the ring, and Matthew climbed back into the ring to try to get rid of him ASAP. Benjamin ran right past him to aid his partner, who was being attacked by Rikishi. The two worked together in shoving Rikishi over the top rope and to the floor. As they turned around, Matthew clotheslined both of them down. Nowinski was tossed out by Kane, and Cena was about to meet the same fate. Matt hit Kane's knee from behind, and the Big Red Machine dropped Cena. Orton looked over at Cena and the two nodded at each other. Each grabbed one of Kane's legs and lifted as hard as they could. Kane clasped onto the top rope as the number #24 entrant prepared to join the Rumble.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

_**"CAN YOU DIG IT, SUCKA?"**_

Booker T, the five-time WCW World Champion, ran to the ring and attacked Team Angle. However, the attack was short-lived as Benjamin dodged a kick and shoved Booker to the ropes, where Haas immediately shoved him over. Six men were in the ring: Kane, RVD, Orton, Cena, and both members of Team Angle. Matthew knew the next one coming in would be Eric; he was sick and tired of Kane beating on him. Without realizing it, he saw Cena standing next to him, Team Angle in another corner, and Rob Van Dam and Kane in another. The crowd started to cheer, sensing a three-team battle royal. Orton charged at Kane, Cena went after Haas, and Benjamin tangled with RVD.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Matthew's head looked toward the entryway as Eric made his way to the ring. He climbed in and helped Matthew assault Kane. Matt slacked off a bit and let Eric have Kane; Matt was incredibly worn out from entering way back at number three. Eric was on fire, knocking Kane so hard against the ropes that the Big Red Machine was about to go over. RVD came from behind Eric and shoved him into Kane, who grabbed Barringer by the throat. Kane lifted Eric into the air, but received a strong super kick to the chin from Matthew. Kane dropped Eric, and the two clotheslined Kane over the top rope. Kane landed on the apron, however. RVD ran straight at Matthew, but inadvertently eliminated Kane when Matthew moved out of the way.

"It's about freakin' time", Matthew yelled over to Eric.

"You okay?"

"I can manage. Go after Van Dam."

"I need to tell you something."

"Not now. It can wait. Just get RVD."

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Maven, the Tough Enough winner, was #26. He went after RVD as well, and Van Dam was soon on the top rope being pushed over. Team Angle came from behind and lifted everyone's legs, sending all four men over. RVD was sent to the floor, but Maven, Orton, and Barringer rolled back into the ring. Matthew and Eric took on Haas while Cena and Maven took on Benjamin.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Goldust came out as #27. He joined Maven and Cena in going after Shelton Benjamin. Matthew executed the MKO on Haas, and Eric applied the Camel Clutch. However, Cena lifted Matthew up for the F-U, and moved over to the ropes. Sensing what Cena was about to do, Matt raked Cena's eyes and lifted the rapper up in the F-U position. With one fluid motion, Orton gave Cena his own finisher over the top rope. Goldust had been tossed over by Maven, and Benjamin attacked Eric, who still had Haas locked in. Matthew retaliated, kicking Shelton in the face with a big boot.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

Matthew heard Batista's music and Dave came out in a hurry to the ring as #28. Dave was actually shocked to see Matthew still in the Rumble; Orton had a hell of a lot of stamina. Dave took down Team Angle with a double clothesline and delivered a loud Batista Bomb to Maven. Batista moved Maven to the center of the ring so Matthew could climb to the turnbuckle for yet another somersault leg drop. Haas and Benjamin got up at once and took Eric by surprise, eliminating him from the Rumble in one fell swoop.

"NO!", yelled Matthew, and he charged Haas, clotheslining him over the top rope and down to the floor. Batista took revenge on Benjamin, putting him in a Batista Bomb position and slamming him over the top rope onto Haas. Team Angle was finally eliminated.

Matthew looked around and saw no one else in the ring except himself and Batista. There was no way he could take on the Animal in the condition he was in. Dave smiled and shrugged, wondering what to do. Matt got to his feet and stood toe-to-toe with Batista while the crowd got louder and louder.

"... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

#29, who had won a qualifying match earlier that night, marched to the ring. It was Brock Lesnar. Dave and Matthew turned to face the SmackDown star together and charged straight at him. Lesnar shoved both of them off and went after Matthew, who he thought would be easier to eliminate. Matthew was already halfway over when Batista got to his feet and took Lesnar off his tag team partner. Brock raised Batista up in the F-5 position, but Matthew came back with a low blow, which caused Lesnar to drop Dave. Matthew put Lesnar's head under his arm and hit the MKO, falling down with Brock at the same time out of exhaustion. Batista picked up Brock and put him on the top rope, trying to get him over. Matthew could faintly hear the crowd chanted something.

_"Taker ... Taker ... Taker ..."_

_"No ... anyone but him. Please, God, anyone but him!"_

The timer started to count down for the last time that night. "... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, **buzz**"

A drum beat started, followed by a loud **GONG!**

_**"Dead Man walkin'."**_

He heard the loud roar of a motorcycle and saw the last man he wanted to see ride down to the ring. The Undertaker was now in the competition, and the Final Four of the Royal Rumble was formed: Taker, Orton, Lesnar, and Batista. Matt hid in a corner of the ring as the Undertaker charged at Batista and Lesnar.

_"There's no way I can win ... not with these guys in here."_

To make things worse, he saw the Undertaker shove both Batista and Lesnar over the top rope, with Dave hitting the floor and Brock staying on the apron. _"Oh, goddammit!"_ Matt's only ally left in the Rumble had been eliminated. Lesnar quickly rolled back in and attacked Taker, but was instantly lifted up for a Tombstone Piledriver. After Lesnar's head smacked the mat, Taker turned towards Orton. He charged towards Matthew, but Orton caught him with a drop toe hold. Taker smacked his face against the top rope and Matthew quickly grabbed his leg in an effort to shove him over. The Deadman shoved Orton off and went to the opposite side of the ring with his hand on Matthew's neck. Struggling, Matt managed to keep his arms locked around the top and middle ropes. Taker rebounded off the other side of the ring and rammed his whole weight against the hanging Orton, causing him to fall to the apron. Matt rolled back in after dangling dangerously with one foot right next to the floor. When he got to his feet again, he saw Taker on Lesnar's shoulders, ready to deliver an F-5. Taker went flying over the top rope and to the floor.

It was now down to two. Jim Ross was commenting on the match.

"One man from SmackDown! One man from RAW! Bah gawd, King, what a Royal Rumble!"

"Man?", questioned Jerry Lawler. "Orton's barely a kid! He's only seventeen years old!"

"And he's outlasted twenty-eight other men who are much more experienced than he is, King! He's eliminated close to ten Superstars, including Edge, Mysterio, Jericho, Cena, and both members of Team Angle!"

Orton and Lesnar were now staring each other down. Matthew had been in the Rumble for almost fifty-five minutes; Brock had only been in for about seven. Matt remembered how Lesnar dominated Randy in a match before Randy separated his shoulder. He remembered cringing as he saw Randy suffer an F-5. It was now time for revenge.

Lesnar and Orton circled each other, like a bullfighter and the bull before the start of a bullfight. Orton waved the red cape and Lesnar charged at Matthew, who dodged the charge and backed Brock up in the corner. Matthew, using the ropes for leverage, unloaded kick after kick to Lesnar's midsection. Brock was now sitting down, back against the turnbuckle. Although he was completely out of energy, Matt charged at Lesnar, but was met with a boot to the crotch.

Backstage, Randy was going crazy. His little brother was only one man away from winning the Royal Rumble. He'd have a shot at Triple H's title ... he didn't know how Hunter would deal with that, but it didn't matter much right now. Eric and Dave had just walked into the locker room, saw the look on Randy's face, and hurried over to the monitor.

Brock had Matthew teetering on the top rope. A few more shoves and Lesnar would have a shot at Kurt Angle's belt at WrestleMania. Matthew gave Lesnar a swift kick to the head and was soon back inside the ring. Orton clotheslined Lesnar down hard, making Brock wince in pain. Matt picked up Lesnar for the MKO, but it was reversed into Lesnar hoisting Orton up for the F-5. Matt thrashed around wildly to try to get Brock to let go, but it was no use. Lesnar sent Matthew flying over the top rope. However, Matt managed to grab the rope with his left hand and hung on for dear life.

Lesnar was raising his arms in the air; he thought he had won. When he didn't hear his name announced or the bell ring, Brock looked back at Matthew dangling on the top rope. Matt was unaware that Brock was ready to charge when he situated himself back on the apron. Lesnar speared Matt through the ropes, sending him crashing into the black barrier and onto the floor.

"Here is the winner of the 2003 Royal Rumble match, Brock Lesnar!"

Randy let out a big sigh. Matthew did all he could to try to win, even outlasting Eric and Batista. Matt may not have won, but the older Orton was beaming with pride at what his little brother had just accomplished. Before long, he heard footsteps coming down the hall and Matthew staggered into the locker room, hands on his back and neck. The room erupted in applause, Camilla ran up and kissed Matt, and Hunter shook Matt's hand. Clutching his back, Matthew stumbled over to Randy and looked him in the eye.

"I ... tried ... so hard ..."

"You did the best you could. I don't think any other rookie has lasted that long in a Royal Rumble. You might have set a WWE record tonight, bro." Matthew smiled and Randy hugged his brother. "Now ... next year, when I get into the Rumble ..."

"I'll ... toss you over ... as soon as you ... get into ... the ring."

"Bullcrap!"

The two brothers continued to argue over who would last the longest in next year's Rumble while Eric and Dave looked on.

"I can't wait till they finally have a match against each other", Dave said.

Eric looked strangely at Batista and asked, "Why do you say that?"

"I'm tired of hearing this childish bickering."

Eric laughed. "I think you're gonna need to get used to it. Randy and Matthew aren't going to stop anytime soon." Eric then looked over at Camilla, who gave him the most evil look. He pulled Matthew away from Randy and took him into the hallway.

"What ... what do you want, Eric? We're about to order pizza."

"Listen, its about Camilla."

The smile on Matt's face disappeared. "What about her?"

Eric stared at the floor, still unsure as whether or not he should tell Matthew. "... she made a pass at Randy."

Matthew laughed. "She does that to every guy she finds attractive, you know that."

"No ... it wasn't just words. Matthew, she kissed Randy."

Matthew looked at Eric in disbelief. "You're bullshitting me. She would never do that."

"But she did. I don't know when or why, but Randy pushed her away. He knew you would be pissed off."

"He's lying!"

Matthew looked around to see Camilla in the hallway.

"Randy approached me. He shoved me against the wall and kissed me, Matthew. I was the one who pushed him away."

Matthew looked back and forth between Eric and Camilla. "What the hell is going on?"

"I saw them talking out here in the hallway. Randy said something about you tearing his head off if you found out that they were in a relationship."

Matthew slowly walked over to Camilla and stood toe-to-toe with her. Looking down at her face, Matthew softly spoke. "Is this true? Did you kiss Randy?"

"No. Randy kissed me. I swear it." Camilla was almost in tears. Matthew saw this and turned towards Eric. Eric saw the look on Matthew's face and stood in horror. Matt grabbed Eric by the throat, lifted him up, and slammed him against the brick wall.

"I'm going to ask you once. And you better answer me truthfully. Why the _hell_ would you lie me about something like this?"

"... He's not lying!"

Matthew looked behind him to see Randy standing by the door. "I don't know why she's doing it, but she's lying. She put her hand on mine on the plane ride over here. When you left for the Rumble, she explained to me why. She said something about love being a fundamental emotion and that I couldn't live without it. She said she wanted to help me fill the gap in my heart."

Matthew's jaw fell to the ground. _"That's the exact same thing she said to me ..."_

Camilla's eyes widened as she realized what Randy was saying. Matthew let go of Eric and switched his gaze to Camilla.

"You lied to me. You _did_ kiss Randy. Why? I thought ... I thought you loved me."

"I ... I thought Randy was attracted to me. I didn't want to break up with you, so I tried to ... break you two apart by tricking you into thinking Randy kissed me."

"You ... wanted to **sabotage **the bond between two brothers?!" Matthew began to raise his voice. "How ... how could you? How could you want to separate me from my brother? The brother I had missed for **_sixteen fucking years!_**"

"Matthew ... you're scaring me ..."

"Randy, get me my duffel bag."

The older Orton went inside the locker room and quickly returned to the hallway. Matthew removed his wallet from the bag, grabbed a wad of bills, and shoved it into Camilla's hands.

"Take this money and go back to St. Louis. Hire a moving crew, do whatever you have to do to move all of your stuff out of our house. I never want to see you again."

With real tears in her eyes, Camilla stuttered to speak. "But ... but, Matthew, I ... love you."

"You stopped loving me the minute you moved from San Antonio to Arkansas. Because you didn't have a piece of eye candy to regularly look at, you forgot about me. When you saw Randy and I at the grocery store that day, you jumped at the bit to be near us. And when you found out I was a professional wrestler, that sealed the deal. You ... you never loved me. You never loved me at all."

"Matthew ..." She stepped closer to him, but Matt took a few steps back.

"Get away from me. **GET AWAY FROM ME!**"

Dejected, Camilla took one more look at Matthew, then at Randy. She attempted to hug him. "Randy, I never ..."

"Don't touch me. Take your things and go."

Crying, Camilla ran off to the other end of the hallway and exited the arena.

"Eric ... I'm sorry ... I overreacted."

"You're cool, dude. I knew something like this might happen, but I told you anyway."

Matthew smiled and turned to Randy. "Looks like we both have gaps to fill now."

"Yeah ... but that can wait. I think as long as we're on the same team, we don't have to worry about it."

The two brothers hugged each other, and even Eric joined in, making it a group hug.

"So ... what kinda pizza do you guys want?"

* * *

_God, I didn't think the Rumble was going to be that hard to write. I have to remember to take it easy next time. Now that the bond between brothers is even stronger, how will this affect Evolution's success? And what will transpire on RAW the next night since Matthew was the last RAW Superstar left in the Rumble? _

_Don't forget to read and review! Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed it._

_SuspiciousInitials_


	17. Turbulence

_That last chapter wrecked my head; it was murder trying to keep up with all the eliminations. A very special thanks to those who have reviewed, favorited, and put me on their alert list. I really appreciate it._

_The Royal Rumble came to an end and Matthew came incredibly close to winning. Matt was also successful in discovering Camilla's true intentions, and, as a result, told her to leave his life forever. Now Randy and Matthew must both deal with the lack of a love in their life. Also, Matthew receives a bit of unexpected news from RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff._

* * *

After the pay-per-view was over, everyone feasted on pizza; Triple H had retained his title, and the youngest member of Evolution had come within inches of winning the Royal Rumble. Matthew was the only one who had ordered something different; instead of pepperoni, Matt chowed down on mushroom and pineapple pizza. The others raised eyebrows at Matt's peculiar tastes. Having one whole pizza to himself, Matt sat in the opposite corner of the room away from everyone else to think about what just happened not thirty minutes ago. He couldn't believe that the one girl he loved could have such malevolent intentions.

_"I was just too happy to see and be back with her to question her motives"_, Matt silently pondered. _"I was too overcome with emotion to realize who she truly was."_

Randy had noticed Matthew being quiet and reserved and sat down next to him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just wondering why I didn't see through her to begin with. But ... what was Camilla talking about when she mentioned what you went through? What made her approach you like that?"

Randy took a deep breath and retold his story. "Back in high school, I had a girlfriend that I loved just as much as you loved Camilla. Hell ... I even thought I might ask her to marry me one day. But she cheated on me with another guy at our senior prom. Typical high school drama crap. I left the place because I was so pissed off. The next morning, I realized that I would never see her again; her death was reported on the news. She and that bastard she cheated on died of a drug overdose."

Matthew sat there with his jaw to the ground. "Randy ... I ... I'm sorry."

Randy chuckled. "You have nothing to be sorry about, bro. If that didn't happen, I don't think I would have started training to be a wrestler. Then I wouldn't have met you."

"It's funny how the most terrible things lead to the happiest events."

A knock at the locker room door caught the attention of everyone. Flair opened the door and Eric Bischoff came into the room. He shook Hunter's hand and congratulated his retaining the World Heavyweight Championship and then walked over to the two Ortons. Randy stood up and shook Bischoff's hand.

"Orton, nice to see you without that sling. When do you come back to RAW?"

"February 3rd, sir."

"Looking forward to seeing your back in the ring." Bischoff turned to Matthew. "Now, as for you, Matthew. Well done." Matt got up to shake Bischoff's hand. "I honestly thought you would be out in the first five or so minutes. But a rookie with only four matches to his credit going all the way to the end ... from #3?! Unheard of, kid."

"Thank ... thank you, Mr. Bischoff." Matthew couldn't believe he was getting this sort of message so early in his career.

"You've impressed me so much that I'm going to make you one of the #1 contenders to the Intercontinental Championship."

"**What?!**" Matthew and Randy both exclaimed. Hunter was a little relieved; he thought Bischoff was going to say "World Heavyweight" instead of "Intercontinental". The two brothers high fived each other and had smiles from ear to ear on their faces. Even Batista started to smile and Eric started to applaud his best friend.

"You'll get your shot at No Way Out. I'm gonna start a tournament tomorrow on RAW to determine who your opponent will be."

(**A/N: **The Intercontinental Championship was unified with the World Heavyweight Championship when Triple H beat Kane in October at No Mercy. Matthew was recovering from his shoulder injury at this time.)

Matthew couldn't be any happier as Bischoff left the room. Randy smiled, knowing that if Matthew won, he might get a shot to face his brother for a title belt.

"I already know what you're thinking, Randy. It won't happen. You'll never beat me."

Randy laughed and shook his head. "You'll see how easy I'll beat you once we start training in the ring. Don't forget the RKO, bro."

"Meh." This one little reaction from Matthew sparked a fire in Randy's mind. _"You're gonna get it later, Matt. I'll see to that."_ Randy finished off another couple of pieces of pepperoni and the whole group left to go to the hotel. One hell of a night had finally come to an end.

* * *

The next morning Matthew was in bed looking at the ceiling, envisioning the Intercontinental belt around his waist. The only thing on his mind was who was going to be his opponent at No Way Out. Randy was still snoring in the bed next to him; Matthew was glad that the opponent couldn't be his brother. Although Matt kept telling his brother that there was no chance of the older Orton coming out the winner, Matthew knew that Randy could win easily. Randy was bigger, had a longer arm span, and was more agile. Matt sat up on the end of his bed and sighed. It was one thing to be successful in the WWE alone, but with a brother about to jump back into the mix, competition between the two was inevitable. Matt wasn't sure he was ready for something like that. He wondered how the Hardys coexisted; they had fought each other during the Royal Rumble. The Undertaker and Kane were brothers, but their relationship wasn't much of one to begin with. Edge and Christian were brothers, but like the Hardys, they had fought each other at the Royal Rumble. Matthew had even speared Christian to help Edge eliminate him.

The last thing Matthew wanted to happen was for him and Randy to feud against each other. He had known his brother for only nine months; the Hardys, Taker and Kane, and Edge and Christian knew each other for much longer than that. Matt got up to change into some workout clothes, grabbing a muscle shirt and a pair of shorts from the dresser drawer.

" ... where are you going?"

Matt looked over at a stirring Randy, whose eyes were barely open.

"Down to the workout room. Wanna come?"

" ... yeah. Gimme a minute."

Randy rolled out of bed, literally, falling down on the ground with a big thud. Matthew laughed and helped his brother up to his feet.

"Do you think you'll win the belt?" Randy asked.

"I don't know. I'm still surprised Bischoff gave me this opportunity. I haven't even won a match on RAW yet."

"Don't doubt yourself. That's the first thing I learned when I got into the ring, Matt. If you do, you'll always show your weakness."

There was a knock at the door and Matthew opened it quickly. Eric was standing at the door with a piece of paper in his hand.

"That Intercontinental belt may as well be mine, Matt."

Matthew shot Eric a look. "What are you talking about?"

"Bischoff put me in the tournament. Look." Eric handed Matthew the piece of paper and the two Ortons looked over the bracket. Sure enough, Eric was put against Rob Van Dam in the first round. Batista was also put in the tournament, going up against Kane in the first round.

"Looks like you may get your rematch against Dave after all. If he can beat Kane and either Jericho or Booker T and if you can beat Van Dam and either Christian or Goldust, you two will be in the final."

"And after I beat Batista, I'll beat you at No Way Out just as easily as I did on RAW." Eric punched Matthew hard in the arm and was gone as quickly as he appeared.

"He's gotten a hell of a lot more cocky, huh?" Randy commented.

"Yeah ..." Matt was a little thrown off by Eric's attitude.

"What's wrong?"

"I've never seen him act like that. He's never acted like a complete ass before. Hurry up and get dressed. I want to get down to the workout room before it gets full."

Randy quickly put some athletic shorts on. The two were almost out of the door before Matt's cell phone rang. It was Triple H.

"Orton. I need to talk to you about Barringer."

"What? What happened?"

"The kid went ballistic when he saw his name on that bracket. Even after I told him that you were going to be our Intercontinental champion, he insisted that he would kick your ass all over the ring at No Way Out."

"What ... what are we gonna do about it?"

"We'll lead him on that he's still gonna be in Evolution, but the minute he's eliminated from the tournament, you and Batista will destroy him. If he wants to reject all the advice and training I've given him for a belt when it's ahead of his time to have one, Barringer can be on his own."

Matthew wanted to say something, but he didn't dare risk Hunter deciding his fate as well as Eric's.

"I'll do whatever needs to be done. I'll tell Randy too."

Hunter hung up, leaving Matthew silent.

"Well? What's going on?"

"Eric's not going to be in Evolution anymore."

"Why?"

"Apparently, he got in Hunter's face about him deserving the Intercontinental belt and he pushed it too far."

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know yet."

"And you don't have any problem with this?"

"No. Eric brought this on himself. There's nothing we can do about it."

The two stood in the doorway for a while before Randy spoke up.

"Let's just go down to the workout room. I want to knock around a punching bag."

* * *

Matthew sat in Evolution's locker room tapping his feet on the floor. He was watching the first round of the tournament, observing his possible opponents. Christian had defeated Goldust and Chris Jericho made Booker T submit with the Walls of Jericho. Batista was battling Kane right now and Eric was pacing back and forth for his match with RVD. As his best friend walked around the room, Matt noticed a heightened level of aggression in Eric; he was punching the lockers at random intervals and yelling at the top of his lungs every minute or so.

"Shouldn't you calm down?"

"Calm down? Forget that. I need to get pumped up."

"I think you're there, dude."

"Admit it. You're just scared of me kicking your ass again."

"Eric, aren't you forgetting something? Hunter says when we're ready for a belt."

Eric stopped and turned to Matthew. "What are you saying? Don't tell me you've become one of his cronies too."

"Crony? I am not a crony. Hunter is guiding you, me, Randy, and Dave to become all we can be in this business. What you want to do is completely divergent from what HHH has planned for us."

Eric started to laugh. "I can't believe you. Spoken like a true idiot. Hunter has his leash on you and you're too blind to realize it."

Matthew got up and got in Eric's face. "Say that again."

Randy entered the room at that moment and stepped between the two friends. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Shove off, Orton. Your stupid little brother and I have some business to attend to."

Batista walked into the room fresh off a win against Kane and pulled Eric back while Randy did the same to Matthew.

"You're just a tool, Matthew! All Hunter is going to do is use you! You too, Randy!" Eric shook Dave off and shoved him into the lockers. "You all can go to hell!" Eric stormed out of the locker room, taking his duffel bag and almost smacking into Hunter, who had also just walked into the room.

"What happened?"

Matthew responded. "I tried to calm him down and reason with him. I wanted to try to convince him to change his attitude so we didn't have to kick him out."

The whole room was silent for a bit before Matthew looked up at Batista. "When you and Eric meet in the final, you have to kick his ass. Batista Bomb him as many times as you want. Put him out for a good while."

Matthew watched the monitor as Eric began his match with Rob Van Dam. Eric's face was red as a tomato. Van Dam assaulted his opponent with his usual myriad of kicks and high flying moves, but Eric would not stay down. Matthew reeled back as he saw suplex after suplex, something that Eric hadn't done in the past. Even Batista was surprised when Van Dam was seemingly knocked out. Eric went for the three-count and easily obtained it. Matthew, Randy, Hunter, and Dave all looked at each other.

"We may have created a monster", Randy blurted out loud.

"Wait ... I have a plan", Matthew replied. "I'll convince Bischoff to let me be the special referee for the final match of the tournament. Then I'll lay Eric out with a weapon and he'll be out of our faces for a while."

Hunter nodded in approval, but Randy sat back down in a chair, a little surprised at his brother's response. He didn't think Matt would be so quick to turn against his best friend. In fact, it wasn't too long ago that Matthew protested the thought of joining Evolution for many of the same reasons Eric was yelling about. Was the Intercontinental belt making Matthew act like this? Or did Matthew finally accept when Hunter was trying to do for them?

The night had come to a conclusion. Neither Hunter nor Matthew had to compete because of how much airtime the tournament took up. Batista was already thinking about his match with Jericho for next week, Hunter was expecting Scott Steiner to demand a rematch, and Matthew was thinking about the possibility of facing Eric at No Way Out.

Matt and Randy had separated from the group and headed up to the fifth floor of the hotel. While on the elevator up there, Matthew had something to say.

"I'm worried."

"Why? Just talk to Bischoff and you'll be fine."

"It's not about that", Matthew replied as they stepped out onto the fifth floor. "I'm worried about Eric's career now."

"What? Why?"

"Hunter won't forget about this for a long while. Something really bad could happen to Eric; you know how Triple H is."

"Why are you caring for him now? Eric turned his back on you!"

"Did he turn his back on me or did **I** turn **my** back on **him**?"

There was silence in the hallway as Randy fiddled with the door lock, finally getting it open after a few tries. They walked in and set their bags down.

"Wait ... wait a minute. You said yourself that Eric made the choice to do this. What happens afterwards is just a natural consequence."

"Randy, he's my _best friend_ though." Matthew sat down on the bed in frustration and looked down at the floor. "I've lost my girlfriend and now my best friend all in a span of 48 hours."

Randy's face turned to frustration just like his little brother's. "Listen. I know you've gone through a lot in the last two days, but you've still got me, right?"

Matthew looked over at his brother. "Yeah ... but ... but what if something happens between us? Do you know what would do to me? The whole reason I trained to become a WWE Superstar is to spend more time with you!"

"**Nothing **will happen to us. I guarantee you that."

"How can you be so sure? I thought Camilla and I would stay together for the rest of our lives!" Randy was a little shocked as Matthew started to become hysterical. "Eric and I have been best friends for years and now he's determined to ram my head into the ground! How the hell I am supposed to know what _you'll_ end up wanting to do?!"

Randy just about had enough. Raising his voice, Randy screamed "That's the way this business works! Friendships come and friendships go! Look at Hunter and Shawn! They were the best of friends when D-Generation X started out, but look at them now! They beat each other to a bloody pulp at SummerSlam last year! If you can't handle losing one friend, then you need to take that bag and **head ... back ... home!**"

Orton instantly regretted what he said as he saw a tear roll down Matthew's face. "Matt ... one thing can be certain. As long as I'm in the WWE with you, I will **never** turn my back on you. I will never backstab or betray you. You're my brother. I love ya too much to do something like that to you."

As Randy said this, he went over and put his arm around Matthew.

"Have ... have you lost a friend like this, Randy?"

"Eric was my friend, Matt. Camilla was my friend. I've lost the same two people you have."

Matthew stopped crying and started to think. He hadn't realized that Randy was in the same boat as he was.

"Just go to bed, Matt. You need to sleep on this." Orton got up and started to climb into his bed.

"Wait ..." Randy turned around to face his brother. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"Letting you think I was weak."

Randy chuckled. "It's stuff like this that'll make you stronger. And when you stop Eric in his tracks a couple of weeks from now, you'll get stronger. Every hurdle that you overcome or don't overcome will make you stronger."

Matthew cracked a smile and felt the change in his pocket. "Ya want a coke?"

"Yeah. Make it a root beer."

Matt left the room and went to the vending machine to grab two root beers. Coming back to the room, he found it empty; Randy was nowhere to be seen.

"Goddammit, Randy."

Matt knew what was coming, and he was going to try his best to avoid it. He put down the root beers and started to search the room. He looked behind and under the beds, in the closet, in the bathroom and even behind the front door.

"This is a damn hotel room. There aren't many places for you to hide! Where the hell did you go?"

Matthew stood there shaking his head when an arm wrapped itself around his neck. Randy had been hiding behind the long curtains the whole time. Randy held on for the ride as Matthew picked him up and bucked around wildly, swinging his whole body around trying to get Randy to loosen his hold. Feeling the effects, Matthew dropped down to one knee. Trying his best, Matt wrapped his hands behind Randy's neck and pulled straight down. It had the desired effect, and Matthew could feel the grip around his neck weaken. Matt got back on two feet and elbowed Randy a few times in the stomach. With Randy's arm now completely off, Matthew turned around and put his brother in the MKO position.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa ... not here! This is concrete, dude! You'll bust my head open!"

Matt raised Randy up and slammed him down, but on the mattress of the bed in front of him. Randy landed so hard; he bounced up and off the bed and landed with a clunk on the floor. Matthew burst out in laughter as Randy got up and regained his composure.

"I ... I thought I was gonna die there for a second."

"Nah ... you haven't done anything to piss me off yet. Every hurdle I overcome makes me stronger, huh?" With his finger, Matt wrote out 'Break Randy's sleeper hold' in the air and made a big checkmark beside it. "Strike one off the list."

Randy threw a pillow at Matt, hitting him square in the face. "Go to sleep. You're gonna need it when I start smacking you around the ring back home."

"Yada, yada, yada..."

* * *

_And ... scene. Who's the bad guy here: Eric or Matthew? Will it end up being Eric and Batista in the tournament final? And will Matthew's plan to put Eric on the bench for a while come through? _

_This was one of my favorite chapters to write; I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did._

_R&R_

_  
SuspiciousInitials_


	18. Reconciliation

_A mix of good and bad in the last chapter: Matthew gets a shot at the Intercontinental title at No Way Out, Eric goes ballistic and leaves Evolution, and the brothers had another "argument-into-brotherly mischief" situation. _

_Now, the gang returns to St. Louis, where Matthew and Randy have their first face-off in a ring. The second round of the Intercontinental contender's tournament occurs, and the return of someone causes another rift between the brothers. _

_Hope you like it!_

* * *

The next morning on the plane ride home, Matthew was heavy with regret; he was holding both Eric and Camilla's plane tickets back to St. Louis. Randy was sitting next to him and observed Matt looking at the tickets with an extremely somber look on his face.

"Don't tell me you're worrying about them. After what they did to you, I think they would be the last thing on your mind."

"… we … we just left them there."

"And?"

Matthew shook his head and tossed the tickets into the small compartment in front of him. Randy took them back out and placed them on Matt's lap.

"Tear them up."

"… What?"

"Tear them up. Show me that you've gotten over this."

Matt looked at his brother with a look of despair on his face. Looking back down at the tickets, Matthew grabbed the center, preparing to rip them apart. _"Am I really going to do this?" _

He answered his own thought. _"You have to if you're going to move on with your life. Especially if you're going to muster up the courage to go up against Eric." _

_"But Camilla…"_

Matthew forced the thought out of him and tore the tickets in half, then into fourths, then eighths, sixteenths, and so on. Randy grinned and put a pair of headphones on.

_"Did I really just do that?"_, Matt asked himself.

The plane touched down in St. Louis, and Hunter, Dave, Randy, and Matthew headed to the Orton household. After unloading their luggage, Matt went up to his room and fell on the bed, eyes looking up to the ceiling.

_"I just left her there…"_

Matt looked around to see Camilla's belongings still in his room. He got up and took a picture from his nightstand. Matt looked down at him and Camilla on their first date, which was a double date with a friend of his and his girlfriend. They were in the classic spaghetti pose where they were kissing after eating the same piece of pasta. Matthew managed a weak smile.

_"Did I overreact? Did I really leave her to fend for herself over there?"_

Matthew closed his eyes and sat down on the edge of the bed. Looking back up at Camilla's bed in front of him, he expected to see her nestled under the covers with her head resting comfortably on that frilly pink pillow she had. He tossed the picture back on the nightstand and stared at the ceiling again. Matt tried to imagine what could have happened if he hadn't forced the one girl he loved out of his life.

_"We'd probably be cuddling on the sofa, me playing with her hair and her telling the little lame jokes she always comes up with. She'd be by my side at No Way Out, accompanying me to the ring and cheering me on. Upon winning the match, Camilla would hop in the ring while I would be holding the Intercontinental belt high above my head. She'd give me a hug and a kiss, and I would ask for a microphone from the ring announcer. After giving a little speech about how she supported me and whatnot, I'd get down on one knee…"_

Matt's daydream ended when a pair of hands shoved him off the bed. He landed flat on his back, Randy laughing his ass off in a corner of the room.

"Get your gear on, bro. It's time I finally get to knock ya around the ring."

"Now? We just got here! Can't it wait an hour … or three?"

"Shut up and get your ass moving. I've waited too long for this day to push it back another hour. I'll be waiting for you in the backyard."

Randy walked out of the room, barely dodging a thrown pillow. Matthew had also anticipated this day, but he just didn't feel like fighting right now. Sighing, he slipped his shirt off and grabbed his gear from the duffel bag next to his bed. When he emerged onto the back patio, Matt laughed when he saw Batista wearing a referee's shirt.

"Looks good on ya, Dave!", Matthew yelled as he slid into the ring.

"You'll see how good it looks when you're knocked out!"

_"Two against one? I like those odds."_, Matthew sarcastically thought to himself as he faced down Randy in the middle of the ring.

Batista gave the pre-match rundown. "Okay, you two. Fight fair and … ah, what am I kiddin'? Just beat the hell out of each other."

Randy shrugged and shoved Matthew in the chest with both hands. Matt stumbled back, but replied with a shove equally as hard. Randy grabbed Matt and whipped him to the turnbuckle, following with a strong running splash, leaving the younger Orton clutching his chest and out of breath. Using his height advantage, Randy caught Matt with a big boot to the face as he was coming out of the corner, sending him to the ground. As the side of Matt's face stung with pain, Randy gloated, enjoying having the upper hand over his brother. Matt was picked up and dragged to the turnbuckle, where Randy lifted him up onto the top one. Matt realized what Randy had in store and shoved him off, sending him flying onto the mat back first. Matt was positioning himself for a somersault leg drop, but Batista nonchalantly wiggled the top rope, racking Matthew on the turnbuckle.

Randy got up and laughed at Matthew falling off the turnbuckle in pain. He nodded over to Batista, who started to get Matt on his feet. Meanwhile, Randy assumed a cat-like position, stalking his prey, ready to make good on the promise he made to Matt. Dave lifted Matt to his feet and gave him fair warning.

"Turn around, Matt."

Still gasping for air, Matthew stumbled around only to find his face rammed down into the mat. Randy stood up and grinned from ear to ear, posing over his unconscious brother, arms spread wide; the first RKO had hit its target successfully. He turned his brother on his back and put one foot on Matt's chest to get the three-count. HHH, who was watching the match from the kitchen table, couldn't help but chuckle a little. He came outside, starting a slow clap.

"Looks like you beat your brother, Randy. But you needed his help to do it." Hunter pointed at Dave.

"I could beat him in a match on RAW just as easily as I did here."

Hunter nodded his head in approval. "Alright. Let's see if you can put your money where your mouth is. You'll face Matt on RAW next week, with the Intercontinental title shot on the line."

Randy was stunned. "Whoa … whoa … whoa … I don't want to steal his thunder from him right now."

Dave laughed. "Ha. You don't think you can beat him. That's why you're backing off."

"Bullcrap!" Randy protested, although he really did think Matthew would beat him.

Hunter smirked and shook his head. "Well, only one thing's for certain: you knocked the hell out of Matthew. He hasn't moved."

Randy and Dave looked down at Matt, who was still lifeless on the canvas. Dave hoisted Matt onto his shoulders and climbed out of the ring, headed for Matt's room. Randy stayed behind, trying to convince Hunter not to put him against Matthew on Monday night.

Dave had just reached the door to Matt's room, but noticed that the door was slightly ajar.

_"Odd. He never leaves the door open."_

He also heard movement inside. Cautiously, he pushed the door open to see one person he never thought he'd see again: Camilla. She gasped, from both surprise at seeing Dave and seeing Matthew knocked out and slumped over Dave's shoulder.

"What … what happened?", Camilla asked.

Batista ignored her and put Matt down on his bed. Dave gave Camilla a harsh look, but left the room without saying a word. She took a break from packing her suitcase and went over to sit next to her ex-boyfriend. She noticed the large red bump forming on Matt's forehead and concluded that he must have had a sparring match with someone. Camilla brushed her hand over Matthew's face, opening his eyes for a brief second with her fingers. Seeing the beautiful blue-green she loved seeing everyday in high school, Camilla was reminded of the time they first met. She thought it was love at first sight.

_"My parents … if only we didn't move in the first place. I missed Matthew so much, I resorted to looking at other men…"_

Camilla was disgusted with herself. She was given a golden second chance at true love but couldn't get rid of the very method she had created to replace the void that was made when she was taken away from Matthew. Camilla had no self-control now. Before the move, it was just playful banter. Afterwards, there was no joking around.

_"He'll never take me back for what I did to him..."_

She rested her head on Matthew's chest, much like she would in Matt's hammock back in San Antonio. Before long, she was looking up at the ceiling like it was the night sky, looking at the stars with Matthew. Camilla smiled, knowing that she would always have those memories to fill in the gap in her soul. Camilla nodded off, putting her arm around Matthew for one last time.

* * *

Matthew woke up with a grin on his face. He had a dream that he and Camilla got back together, eventually got married, and had two kids that both became WWE Superstars. Matt remembered the end of his dream well: he was running his hand through Camilla's long brown hair. 

His head started to throb, and he noticed something on his chest. To his surprise, Camilla was on the bed, snuggled up tightly next to him. Matthew had his hand running through her hair.

Camilla stirred and looked up at Matthew with barely open eyes. They met glances and looked into each other's souls. Camilla made the first move and started to speak.

"Matthew … I … I …"

"Wait. I need to speak first. Camilla, I thought I never wanted to speak to you again. But on the plane ride back here, I realized that I loved you too much to just force you out of my life. You're part of me, baby. I can't live without you."

"But … but how can you say that after what I tried to do to you and Randy?"

Matthew hesitated before answering. "I don't know. Maybe I'm a fool for doing this, but I'm not going to let you go."

A tear rolled down Camilla's face before hugging Matthew tightly.

"Camilla … you just have to promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"You're not going to pull a stunt like this again."

Camilla giggled and nodded her head before Matthew leaned in and kissed her deeply. She helped him to his feet, Matthew still a bit woozy from Randy's RKO. They walked down the stairs together to get him an ice pack to put on the giant lump on his forehead.

In the dining room, Dave, Hunter, and Randy were all talking on speaker phone with Flair, discussing strategy for the few weeks before No Way Out. Randy heard footsteps coming down the stairs and turned towards the staircase, expecting to see his brother clutching his neck and forehead. Randy was shocked to see Camilla helping Matthew down to the kitchen. He got up immediately and stormed to the kitchen to confront his brother.

"What the _hell_ is she still doing here?"

Matthew slowly turned to face his older brother, ice pack in hand. "She's going to stay."

"After what she did to you? Matthew, why would you let her have a second chance to destroy our lives?"

"I just can't send her packing. It was only a silly mistake."

Randy was getting infuriated. "**A silly mistake?**", Randy screamed. "**You're going to let that _bitch_**…"

"**WATCH YOUR FUCKING MOUTH, RANDY!**"

Camilla couldn't stand what she was seeing. She stood transfixed at the arguing brothers. Red faces, sweat forming on their foreheads, fists balled up in anger. The only thing she could do in response was cry.

Upon hearing the sobs, Randy and Matthew quit their yelling and looked over at Camilla tearing up in the corner. Matthew went over and comforted her, but she pushed him away.

"Camilla, why…"

"… I don't deserve someone like you."

Matthew could hear Randy mutter "Damn right…" and shot his brother a malicious glare. Turning back to Camilla, he replied to what she just said.

"Why … how could you say something like that?"

"This … this is sort of thing I thought I wanted to happen between you two. I wanted to see you fight, but not just any plain fight. I wanted somebody broken … somebody bloodied … all so I could be whisked away by the winner. But … but after seeing it start to happen in front of my eyes, I … I …" Camilla broke into more tears. "I'm disgusted with myself. You two are brothers; you obviously love each other a whole lot, even more than some couples I know. And I tried to _destroy that?!_" Camilla paused for a second. "I'm a monster…"

"Camilla …" Matthew began to tear up too, much to the surprise of Randy. "… it's okay. You're … you're alright now." The two hugged each other.

"At least you admitted it", Randy added, his hands crossed against his chest.

Camilla broke the hug and walked over to Randy. "Randy, can you find it in your heart to forgive me? You don't have to, but you have my word that I'll never try to do something like this again."

Randy looked at Camilla, then at his brother. "I don't think I could ever forgive you."

Camilla looked down at the tile on the kitchen floor, dejected.

"… but I respect the way you owned up to what you did. You may never be on the same level of friendship you once were on, but I'm not going to stay hostile to you."

Matthew's face brightened up. "So she can stay?"

Randy hesitated. "Yeah … I don't have a problem with it anymore."

Camilla squealed in joy and hugged Randy briefly before jumping into Matthew's arms. Randy stared at the reunited couple and silently thought to himself, "_I hope you know what you're doing, bro. I don't want you to get hurt again._"

Dave popped his head into the kitchen. "Are you kids done? We could get back to business now."

"Yeah, we'll be right there." Matthew grabbed the ice pack he dropped on the kitchen counter and reapplied it to the still aching bump on his head. They all strolled into the dining room, where Hunter was sitting at the table with a stern look on his face.

"Now that that is over, we can return to what we were doing. Matt, Flair already asked Bischoff about you officiating the tournament final and he wouldn't have any of it, even after I yelled bloody murder to him through the phone."

Matthew's heart sank. "Did he say why?"

"In his eyes, you're still a rookie. A good rookie, but someone who still hasn't earned his keep. And to some degree, he's right."

Matthew nodded, but asked in reply "Well, what the hell do I need to do?"

"I don't know, but if you had beaten Barringer in the first place, he would have said yes."

"And since Eric's still in the tournament, he knows that I don't want to face him in the final."

"But I won't let him win", Dave added in his usual, deep voice, which startled Camilla a bit.

"But then I'll face you in the final."

"And? We'll give 'em a hell of a match at No Way Out, but you'll still be champion."

Matthew didn't know how to respond to that. He wanted to earn his championship, not have them given to him.

Randy spoke up. "I don't have to face Matt on Monday, do I?"

Matthew looked at him with a confused look on his face while Dave and Hunter had a good laugh. "Nah, Orton, I was just joking with you … although you did look kinda scared."

Matt punched his brother in the shoulder. "You know that if Dave didn't shake the top rope, I would have beaten you."

Randy shook his head, but thought to himself, "_Yeah …kinda._"

"Now, for Monday night, I'm anticipating Steiner to run his mouth off about a rematch. I'm kinda thinking that Bischoff might put the winner of the tournament and Steiner against me and you, Matthew."

"And that's when Evolution becomes official, right?" Matthew asked.

"Yep. Dave'll win the tournament, turn on Steiner during the match, Randy will come down to complete the group, and we'll be set. Five men strong."

Camilla coughed.

"And one woman."

She smiled.

Matthew and Camilla spent the rest of the week patching up their relationship. Randy stayed out of it; he let Camilla stay mainly because of his brother and not Camilla. He saw the look on Matthew's face in the kitchen and knew that's what he wanted. The 'older brother' instinct was the one that switched on, causing him to overreact and shout. Watching the couple get reacquainted while sitting by the pool was satisfying.

"I wish I would have actually watched you during the Royal Rumble", Camilla said to Matthew.

"Yeah … you would have gotten all excited and bouncing off the walls in the locker room."

The two chuckled uneasily and dipped their feet into the pool.

* * *

Monday night crept around, and RAW was taking place in Santa Fe, Arizona. Batista had already beaten Chris Jericho, albeit with a couple close calls with the Walls of Jericho. Eric's match with Christian was going on right now, and Matthew's former best friend was dominating. Matt became increasingly worried that Batista might not be able to take care of Eric in the final. Batista saw this and slapped him on the back. 

"Don't worry, Orton. He won't get past me."

Matt flashed a smile, but he didn't feel better at all. Batista was a force to be reckoned with, but Eric looked like he couldn't be stopped. Eric would also want to get back at Batista from the one time he got a Batista Bomb. Matt shook his head in despair as Christian tapped out to a camel clutch.

They were about to leave the arena when Flair stormed in the locker room, obviously mad about something.

"Orton! Front and center!"

Randy and Matthew looked at each other and quickly joined Flair and the others.

"We're not done here tonight. Bischoff is punishing you for asking to be the referee in the final."

"Punishing me? How?"

"The main event of the night is you against Scott Steiner.

* * *

_Uh oh. Could Matthew be in for a real hurting? Did Matthew make the right decision to let Camilla back into his life? And who will win the tournament: Batista or Eric   
_

_Sorry this one took so long, I hope you enjoyed it   
_

_R&R   
_

_SuspiciousInitials _


	19. Apprehension

_Before I get started, I want to personally thank everyone who's reviewed so far: _

_Daddy's LiL HeartBreaker - If it weren't for your reviews, I probably wouldn't have continued the story at all after the first few chapters. Thank you very much._

_xXBleachedSpartanXx - I wish I had a sibling too. Well ... I do, but she's nowhere near my age and I can't associate with her very well. Not to mention she's into things I despise. sigh  
_

_ChainGangQueen4Life - Well, you're one for one on the predictions so far. Let's see if you're right on the second prediction._

_sky-queen3 - I'll keep going for quite a while; the story isn't ending anytime soon. Thanks so much for your encouragement._

_Big Poppa Pump wants to send a message to Triple H and Bischoff is giving him a chance to do so. Unfortunately for Matthew, he's been designated Steiner's punching bag. Will Matthew pull off an upset? Then, Matthew mulls over something he's been thinking about for quite some time now. How will Randy react to Matt's thoughts once he finds out what they are? Next, the final of the Intercontinental Contender's tournament occurs. Will Eric or Batista face Matthew at No Way Out?_

_Hope you like it! Please read and review._

* * *

Matthew sat back down on a bench in the locker room, head in his hands. "_Scott Steiner?! He's **way **out of my league! How the hell am I gonna take him down?_" Hunter saw the scared look on Matt's face and sat down next to him. "Listen ... no offense, Matt, but I don't think you've got the manpower to outwrestle him. You're going to have to take him down via submission." 

"Submissions? I only know a couple."

"Which ones?"

"Well, there's the sleeper hold I've almost knocked out Randy with. And I can do an abdominal stretch pretty well."

Hunter shook his head. "That's not gonna be enough. The sleeper might work, but he'll able to break it easily. You need something that gets his legs. Take out his base and he won't be able to move."

Matthew racked his brain for something that could work. After a few moments, Matthew gave up. "I've got nothing."

"Well ... ready to take one for the team then?"

Matthew laughed uneasily. "Just don't let him tear me apart."

"Don't worry." Triple H reached into a nearby locker and pulled out the infamous sledgehammer. "I got your back."

Matt got up and shook Hunter's hand. Randy got up and gave his brother a short hug.

"Be careful out there."

"I'll try."

Matt then leaned down to Camilla to give her a kiss.

She asked Matt, "Do you want me to go out there with you?" Quickly, Matthew replied, "No. Steiner's gonna be furious, and I don't want him to hurt you."

Matt soon left the room after quickly putting on his gear, and started walking to the entrance ramp. It almost felt as if he was walking to his own execution, many of the other Superstars giving Matt the 'dead man walking' look. He arrived at the curtain and took a deep breath.

"_Come on, Matt, cheer up. It can't be any worse than Hell in a Cell._"

His entrance music hit, and he walked out to the ring, albeit a nervous wreck.

"The following match is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, from San Antonio, Texas, weighing in at 239 pounds, Matthew Orton!"

The crowd greeted him with cheers, much to his surprise. They didn't like Steiner at all and any opponent of his was a friend of the audience. Matt climbed into the ring and turned around towards the entrance, trying to pump himself up. Before long, those sirens started to blare.

"**Holler if ya hear me!**"

"_I won't holler, but I might scream._"

Steiner walked down to the ring, greeted with jeers and boos. Matthew took one look at him and shook his head in amazement; Steiner was truly a freak. After sliding in the ring, Big Poppa Pump met Matthew in the center of the ring for a stare down. Orton wasn't going to let Steiner think he was intimidated and made the first move, shoving Steiner with both hands.

"_I'll regret that._"

Steiner pushed back with full force, shoving Matthew off balance and out of the ring. Matt sprung up defiantly and started to ball his fists.

"_Time to prove myself._"

He slid back into the ring and grappled with Steiner, pushing with all his might. The two worked to a stalemate, and Matthew started to kick at his opponent's knees. Matt's strategy reverted to the one he used against Kane, mainly hit-and-run tactics. With Steiner now on one knee, Matt went up to the top turnbuckle for a missile dropkick and connected, sending Steiner down to the mat, his head bouncing off the canvas. Matt saw an opportunity and went back up to the turnbuckle, this time for his signature somersault leg drop. Saying a little prayer before flying through the air, Matt hit the leg drop square across the neck and went for the cover, only getting a one-count.

"_What the hell? Just one?_"

With Steiner down, Matt went back to work on the legs. In a move that made Flair proud, Matt remembered how to do the Figure Four Leg Lock, making Steiner grimace in pain. The rest of Evolution was cheering Matt on in the back, impressed by his performance so far. Even Hunter was nodding his head in approval. Back in the ring, Steiner was dragging himself to the ropes quickly, even with Matthew using his own arms to slow him down. Matt was forced to let go after Steiner was clutching the bottom rope. Getting up, Matt looked down at his opponent and motioned to the crowd for the MKO, getting a wave of applause. Matt picked Steiner up onto his feet, put his head under his arm, and lifted Steiner up in the air. However, Steiner managed to shift his momentum and landed behind Matthew, grabbing him from behind and tossing Matt over in a German suplex. Not letting go, Steiner picked Matthew back up for a second suplex, and then a third. Matt was starting to black out from the back of his head hitting the mat so hard.

Steiner let go after the third suplex and flexed his arms to the crowd. This was a mistake, as it allowed Matthew to regain his wits. He looked around to see Steiner motion for the Steiner Recliner, and Matt dragged himself to the bottom rope. He clasped on for dear life as Steiner tried to pull him off. Finally, the referee got in Steiner's face and yelled at him to stop. Steiner shoved the referee down to the ground, getting him disqualified.

Hearing the bell ring, Matt slipped out and looked under the ring apron for a weapon. Pulling out a steel chair, Matt swung at an approaching Steiner. He missed, and Steiner grabbed the chair from Matt's hands. A sickening thud filled the arena, and Matt fell to the ground.

Randy was watching in horror from the back, and darted out of the locker room before Hunter could get a hand on him. Steiner picked Matthew up and, after a running start, slammed him against the steel steps next to the ring head first. He shoved Matt back into the ring, grabbing the steel chair for himself before getting back in. The mat started to become red, as Matthew was now bleeding from a large cut on his forehead. Matt was turned on his stomach, and the Steiner Recliner was locked on the younger Orton. Before long, the crowd broke out in cheers, as Randy slid into the ring and knocked Steiner off Matthew with the chair. Randy went to town, slamming the chair repeatedly on Steiner, who rolled out of the ring and stumbled over to the ramp. Randy then attended to his brother.

"Good lord, Matt, can you hear me?"

With his eyes barely fluttering open, Matt nodded. "I ... I ... can't see ... and my ... forehead ... stings ..."

"You're bleeding heavily. I need to get you back to the trainer."

Steiner started to flex again at the top of the ramp, eliticing more boos and jeers from the fans. He pulled a microphone from behind the curtain.

"See this, Triple H? Look at the bloodied, broken kid in front of me and see what you're going to look like at No Way Out!"

Randy turned and faced the ramp, pointing and shouting at Steiner. "**I'll bash your head in for this, Steiner! No one hurts my brother like this!**" Steiner left the ramp, and Randy hoisted Matthew onto his shoulder, heading behind the curtain to the trainer's room. Blood was trickling down Matt's forehead onto Randy's shirt. Camilla came rushing to the entrance ramp and gasped at seeing the damage up close. She immediately fainted, with Batista barely catching her as she fell. Hunter went off in search of Steiner while Flair helped Randy take Matt to the trainer. Upon arriving there, the trainer was genuinely shocked.

"What the hell happened?"

"Steiner."

The trainer didn't need to hear anymore. He quickly washed away the blood on Matthew and examined the wound.

"I can stitch him up. He's lucky it wasn't worse."

"Will he be able to compete next Monday?" asked Randy.

"Yeah, but he'll need to have a bandage wrapped around his forehead just to be safe."

Randy breathed a sigh of relief. Camilla and Dave walked into the room, Camilla still a little groggy from fainting. Dave asked about Matt's condition and was just as relieved when he heard the news. Bischoff came into the room, but was immediately slammed into the wall by an angry older brother.

"**See what you're responsible for? See what you did to my brother?!**"

Bischoff was shaking, knowing that he had made a mistake. He was genuinely concerned for one of his #1 contenders for the Intercontinental title.

"Okay! Alright! Calm down!" Randy reluctantly let go of Bischoff. "Is ... is he okay?"

"Yeah ... although he could be better."

"Listen, Orton. I know this was a screw-up, but Steiner was down my throat about his rematch, and I couldn't come up with anything except putting him in a match against somebody, and your brother was the one name I could remember at the time. Next week, it'll be you two against Steiner in a handicap match."

Randy grinned from ear to ear. Steiner wouldn't walk out of RAW next Monday night.

* * *

Matthew was lying in bed back at home the next night, his head still throbbing and stinging from Steiner's attack. Camilla was sitting next to him. 

"I can't stand seeing you like this."

Matthew didn't respond. He only put his hand on Camilla's and squeezed it.

"Matthew, talk to me."

"... I'm sorry. I'm just still pissed off."

"You've never been so quiet."

"Well, get hit in the head with a steel chair and get your face rammed into a set of steel steps, then get back to me and see how you feel."

Camilla became quiet and left the room. Randy was standing right next to the door.

"Is he okay?"

"No. He won't talk to me without blowing up."

"I'll try."

Camilla went downstairs in dismay while Randy walked into the room.

"What do you want?", Matthew asked his brother.

"Just want to try to help you chill out."

Matthew sighed. He knew that he had been a little harsh on everyone since RAW, even though he had fought incredibly well. Flair went crazy with pride at the Figure Four, and Hunter was incredibly impressed with the test of strength that Matt and Steiner went through.

"What did Bischoff tell you last night? I was too ... occupied ... to listen."

"You and I have a match against Steiner next week. A handicap match."

Matt smiled. "Our first match together."

Randy smirked. "Yeah."

"You gotta teach me that RKO. I wanna drive Steiner's head into the ground."

"Only if you teach me the MKO."

Matthew turned to Randy and chuckled. "You've got yourself a deal."

Randy turned and left the room, leaving Matthew to take a nap. As he was nodding off, Matt's cell phone rang. Dismayed, Matt hastily answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Yo, dawg! You doin' okay?"

"_Who the hell?_ ... Cena?"

"Yeah, man! What's up?"

Matt managed another weak smile. "Ah ... just lyin' here trying to heal."

"Man, if I was in Santa Fe last night, I would have ran down that chump and gave 'em an F-U."

Matt started to chuckle. If there was someone who could always make him laugh, it was Cena.

"You gotta drop the rap thing, man. You just sound like an idiot."

"Dude, this is my life! There's no way I could let it go."

"Ya know, if I would have been on SmackDown, we would have been a great tag team ... although I don't know if I would have picked up the rap gimmick."

"Gimmick? Psh ... you just ain't livin', man. A'ight, dude. Just glad to hear you're well. Peace."

"Later, man." Matthew could imagine Cena making that silly 'Word Life' gesture and laughed.

"_Wait ... how the hell did he get my number?_"

He got up and went downstairs to join the rest of the gang. Camilla smiled at seeing Matt come down the stairs and got up from the dinner table to hug her boyfriend.

"Glad you got the energy to join us."

"Well, if it wasn't for an old friend on SmackDown, I'd still be up there pouting."

Camilla smiled slyly. Matthew caught on to this and put two and two together. "You gave him my number, didn't you?"

"No, but I came up with the idea."

Randy spoke up. "I gave him your number."

"... How?"

"You forget that I was on SmackDown when I started out too. Cena and I were good friends."

Matthew chuckled. "What's for dinner?"

"We've already finished dinner, but it's time for dessert. Your favorite."

Camilla went to the kitchen and brought out a big tray of graham crackers, chocolate bars ... and marshmallows. Matthew's eyes brightened up and he yelled out, "_**S'MORES!**_"

Both Randy and Camilla looked at each other and smiled. Matthew was getting his old personality back. They went to the backyard to see Dave, Hunter, and Flair preparing a small campfire. Matthew was overcome with happiness.

"You guys are _**AWESOME!**_"

Once the fire was going, everyone was sitting back enjoying a S'More. Matthew was eating the marshmallows straight out of the bag with Camilla leaning on his shoulder. Together, they looked up at the stars.

"Doesn't this seem familiar?"

"Mmhmm."

"Camilla, I love you."

_--snore--_

"Camilla?"

She had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Matthew took her head and put it gently on the ground, where she started snoring loudly. Everyone tried to hold back laughs while Matthew went inside to get something. Randy got up and followed him inside.

"What are you getting?"

"I figured since we had the campfire, we might as well set up camp. I'm getting the tents and the sleeping bag."

Randy grinned. "I'm happy for you two."

Matthew stopped digging around in the closet and turned around to face his brother. "Thanks. That means a lot to me." They exchanged an embrace before Matthew spoke up again.

"Then you'll be happy at what I'm about to tell you."

Randy became skeptical. "What?"

"If I win at No Way Out, I'm going to propose to Camilla."

Randy was speechless. "You're ... you're kidding, right?"

"No. Look." He reached around in the closet and took off a secret compartment, revealing a small jewelry box. "I already bought the ring."

"Matthew ... _you're seventeen years old._"

"And? You wanted to marry Jennifer, didn't you?"

Looking down at the ground, Randy wanted to say something in protest. However, he pushed all the negative thoughts out of his mind. The time for arguing with Matthew was over. He looked back up to his little brother and smiled.

"Then you guys have my blessing."

* * *

February 3rd had finally come, Randy's scheduled date to come back to competition. RAW was in Phoenix, Arizona and Matthew was already in his gear, wearing an Evolution shirt turned inside out to keep the secret. The two were pumped up for their match tonight against Steiner; it would be the main event. That wasn't the only thing on the mind of Evolution, however. Batista was also in his gear, preparing for his tournament final against Eric. 

"I have an idea", blurted out Matthew. Everyone turned to him. "I'm going to go out there for commentary."

"I can do this alone, Matthew", Batista replied.

"I'm not doubting that, Dave. I just want to see you kick his ass in person."

Hunter laughed and Dave smirked. "Get on out there then. The match is about to start."

Matthew waltzed out of the room and headed on down to the entrance ramp. His music hit and Matthew greeted the crowd with confidence, pounding his chest and raising his hands in the air. They replied with cheers as well, happy to see him after what Steiner put him through. Matt walked around to the ring and joined J.R. and the King at ringside.

"Well, its good to see you healed up, Orton. Welcome to the announcer's table."

"Thank you, King. I'm happy to be here. I'm just here to do a little scouting if you guys don't mind."

"Not at all, Matt. You're an impressive young man, and you've got a bright future ahead of ya", J.R. replied.

_"If you only knew."_

Batista's music hit, and the Animal of Evolution made his way to the ring.

"The following contest is the final of the Intercontinental Contender's Tournament, and it is scheduled for one fall. First, making his way to the ring, from Washington D.C., at a weight of 290 pounds, Batista!"

The crowd was warm to Batista, having defeated two disliked Superstars already: Kane and Chris Jericho. He took his place in the ring and nodded ever so slightly at Matthew. Eric's music then played and, much to Matthew's pleasure, the crowd booed him loudly.

"Introducing his opponent, from San Antonio, Texas, weighing in at 223 pounds, Eric Barringer!"

Eric dashed to the ring, sliding in and wasting no time in getting the match started. Matthew looked on with anticipation as Dave and Eric exchanged punches. When Eric was knocked back a bit from a hard right hand, Batista lifted Eric up and down for a backbreaker over his knee. Dave picked Eric up, but Eric regained the upper hand by bringing Batista's jaw down on his head.

J.R. interrupted Matthew's viewing. "So, if you don't mind me asking, Orton, what do you think of both of these men?"

"I respect both of them. As you know, Batista and I have tagged together in the past, and he's a great friend. As for Eric, we were ... and I emphasize _were _... best friends in high school. But, he's elected to go one way and it's different from the path I've chosen."

"Who do you think will pull out the win?"

"Obviously, it's gonna be Batista. He's got an almost seventy pound weight advantage, and he's way better than Barringer in mat skills, strength, and endurance."

"You're not just saying that because Barringer has beaten you before, are ya?", Jerry Lawler asked.

"... no." Matt didn't quite know how to respond to that, so he went back to watching the match. Batista had Eric in a front facelock, about ready to suplex Eric. However, like Steiner did the night before, Eric shifted his momentum in midair and ended up behind Dave. He shoved Batista down, with Dave's throat landing right on the second rope. Dave fell to the floor gasping for air. Eric saw his opportunity and applied the Camel Clutch. Matthew sprung out of his chair at the announcer's table and removed his headset in haste. He ran over to the ring and climbed onto the apron, staring Eric in the eyes. Eric let go of Batista and went toe-to-toe with Matt, the crowd going crazy and the referee trying to restrain the two. During this time, Dave was struggling to get to his feet. Upon doing so, Matt backed off to see Eric lifted up for a Batista Bomb. However, Eric somehow reversed it, turning it into a Tornado DDT. Matt got back onto the apron, but was met with a superkick to the chest, sending him flying into the side of the announcer's table. Eric put the Camel Clutch back onto Batista. The crowd was pleading with Batista not to give up, cheering as loud as they could. Matt slowly got to his feet and climbed back onto the apron, but it was too late. Batista was out cold and the referee had lifted Batista's arm for the third time. When it fell down, the bell rang and Matthew's opponent at No Way Out was set in stone.

"Here is your winner and the other #1 contender to the Intercontinental Championship, Eric Barringer!"

Angered, Matthew climbed into the ring and stared down Eric one more time. The two former best friends were going to have a rematch. This time, it would be at No Way Out, and it would be for the Intercontinental title.

* * *

_Matthew wants to propose to Camilla. Oh boy. Is Randy really okay with it? Or will he break down and stop Matthew from doing so?  
_

_Eric gets his revenge, and wins a title shot at No Way Out. However, this RAW isn't over. The Orton brothers still have to face Scott Steiner. Will the combined forces of the two overcome Freakzilla? And what impact will the official formation of Evolution have on RAW? _

_Hope you liked it! Don't forget to review!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	20. Evolution

_Yay, more reviews. Thank you both, barfbuster and ChainGangQueen4Life, for your comments. _

_The February 3rd RAW continues, with Matthew and Randy facing the man that busted Matthew open: Scott Steiner. Plus, the rest of Evolution waits in the wings to finish the job that the Ortons start. Also, will a phone call from an old friend change the tone for the Intercontinental title match at No Way Out between Eric and Matthew? And, does Randy have a change of heart concerning Matthew wanting to propose to Camilla? _

_There are other questions waiting to be answered in this chapter. It is number **twenty**, after all. Hope you like it.  
_

* * *

Batista entered the locker room, busting the door down with his bare hands. Camilla shrieked, then watched as Dave started to bash in one of the locker doors. Matthew walked in behind him cautiously, not wanting to incur Batista's wrath. However, Dave spotted Matthew out of the corner of his eye and grabbed him by the neck, slamming him against a locker. 

"**I told you I could do this alone!**"

Randy and Hunter restrained Batista, pulling him off Matthew, who started clutching his neck.

"You were about to pass out! I was trying to distract him so you could catch your breath! And even with my help, Eric ends up outwrestling you! The only thing that's hurting for you is your pride, Batista!"

Dave had that look on his face ... one of malicious intent and pure anger, the same face that Matthew saw when he first fought Batista. Dave took a swing at Matt, but the younger Orton ducked, countering with an uppercut to the jaw.

"Knock it off, you two!", Hunter screamed. "Matthew's right, Dave. He didn't do anything to cause you to lose. You're the only one at fault!"

Batista shook Hunter and Randy off and, after staring down Matthew again, went to the showers to cool down.

Hunter turned to Matthew and put his hands on the young man's shoulders. "You realize how much of a responsibility you have now, right? It's all on you, Matt. You must win at No Way Out."

"I won't let you down, Hunter. Eric isn't getting past me."

"But for now, we've got bigger things to focus on", Randy interrupted. The main event match against Scott Steiner was up after a match for the World Tag Team Championship.

Randy and Matt started to pump each other up, punching each other in the shoulder, chest bumping, and yelling loudly. Camilla thought she was watching two football players before the game started. Without thinking, Randy headbutted Matthew, sending him yelping against the wall.

"Watch it, Randy!"

"Oh, jeez ... sorry."

Camilla was laughing so hard, she doubled over clutching her stomach in pain. "You ... you guys are such _idiots_!"

The brothers ignored Camilla's comment and continued to act ... well ... like idiots. Before they knew it, the time had come to head towards the entrance ramp. Camilla gave Matt a rather long kiss and gave Randy a light hug. Hunter and Flair shook each Orton's hand, and the brothers were finally off.

"What's the plan?"

"Kick his ass for cutting your forehead last week."

"Who do you want to start out?"

"Let me soften him up a bit, then you can smack him around. I want to finish him off with an RKO."

"Can I still hit the MKO?"

"... maybe. Just let me have some of your light tonight. It's almost like my re-debut."

"Alright, alright, fine. You've got it."

They reached the curtain and started to jump around on their feet, warming themselves up even more. Then, Matthew's music hit. Before stepping out onto the stage, Matt said one last thing.

"That's **our **music now."

Randy looked at Matthew and smiled, beaming with pride. It had been ten months since they first ran into each other in San Antonio. Ten months since Randy showed Matt that picture. Ten months since the tearful family reunion at the hotel that night. Ten months of (cliché intended) blood, sweat, and tears led up to this one moment where two brothers were truly reunited after sixteen years of separation.

"Randy, you coming?"

Matthew had already stepped beyond the curtain; Randy had apparently been lost in thought for a moment. Finally, the two stepped out onto the stage together.

"The following match is a handicap match, and it is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, from St. Louis, Missouri and San Antonio, Texas, at a combined weight of 484 pounds, the team of Randy and Matthew Orton!"

The crowd exploded in applause and Randy posed in the same manner when he first RKOed Matthew. Not to be outdone, Matt imitated his brother. Camilla, watching from the locker room, thought that the brothers looked like a couple of ancient statues in the middle of Rome. A gold, rain-like pyro went off, illuminating the space behind the brothers. Hunter was confused.

"They don't have a set pyro yet."

Flair answered. "That's my doing. I couldn't help but give the guys a little push, eh?"

Randy and Matthew slid into the ring at the same time, posing again while standing on the second rope. Climbing onto the apron, Matt allowed Randy first dibs on the monster who was now stepping onto the stage.

"Introducing their opponent, from Detroit, Michigan, weighing in at 280 pounds, Scott Steiner!"

Steiner wasted no time and rushed down to the ring. Randy started to wail on Steiner with large, powerful forearms to his back, making use of his long armspan. Steiner made it to his feet, and shoved Randy back to a turnbuckle. He let loose with strong punches to Randy's face. Randy reversed the situation and put Steiner in the corner, striking him with shoulder thrusts to the midsection. Randy backed off for a moment and ran full speed at Steiner, going for a splash. Steiner moved out of the way at the last second and hit a cheap shot on Matthew, knocking him off the apron. Steiner then taunted Matthew, flexing one arm and kissing it, getting some heat from the crowd. Matt got up slowly and noticed Randy climbing the turnbuckle behind Steiner.

"Turn around, you sick freak!"

Big Poppa Pump turned around with a cocky look on his face and was met with a missile dropkick from Randy. Matt climbed back onto the apron and called for a tag, quickly getting it. He climbed to the turnbuckle himself and hit his signature somersault leg drop.

_"I've got to come up with a name for that"_, Matthew thought to himself as he got up. Pulling Steiner to his feet, Matt put him in the powerbomb position. With Randy encouraging him, Matt lifted Steiner up and slammed him down, not once or twice, but three times, just as Steiner suplexed him three times in last week's match.

Matt tagged Randy back in, who began to stalk his prey. Matthew wondered what the hell Randy was doing; he had never seen Randy do this before. Steiner stumbled to his feet and Randy went for the RKO, but was pushed away into the referee and Matthew, sending the latter two men out to the floor. Steiner grabbed Randy from behind and applied the Steiner Recliner. The crowd was booing heavily and cheering Randy's name, encouraging him to stay conscious. Matthew had recovered and was creeping around to the other side of the ring, looking under the apron for a chair. The crowd started to cheer as Matt climbed back into the ring and took aim at the back of Steiner's head. A loud thud sounded and Steiner let go of Randy.

The referee was climbing back into the ring as Matthew signaled for the MKO. Randy managed to get up and put a hand up to stop him. Breathing heavily, Randy said, "You ... saw what I ... tried on Steiner ... right?"

"Yeah."

"That's the RKO. We'll do it together."

Matthew smirked, and both waited patiently for Steiner to get back to this feet. Then, simultaneously, the Ortons slammed Steiner's face to the ground with a double RKO, also impacting his throat on the arms of both brothers. With Randy as the legal man, he went for the cover.

"1, 2, 3!"

"Here are your winners, Matthew and Randy Orton!"

Matt embraced Randy as their theme music blared throughout the arena, almost in tears over their first win as a tag team.

"We did it, man! We kicked ass!"

"Together, Matt. We did it together."

The referee came between them and raised both their arms in the air. They both separated and posed on the turnbuckles, drinking in the cheers of the crowd. This was their moment. After another embrace, Matt and Randy climbed out of the ring and started to walk up the ramp.

All of a sudden, the arena got quiet as Triple H, Batista, Flair, and, to Matthew's surprise, Camilla, walked onto the stage, blocking the way out. Hunter had the sledgehammer in hand, and, for a minute, the crowd thought the victorious Ortons were in for a beating.

However, Hunter smiled and shook the hands of Matthew and Randy again. Camilla took out six shirts from a bag she was carrying and handed one to everyone. They quickly put it on, displaying the gold logo of Evolution on their chests. They all turned towards the ring in unison and walked as one towards the fallen Scott Steiner. Matt and Randy were first in, restraining Steiner to his knees, putting him at the mercy of Triple H and his sledgehammer. Hunter took one look at Steiner, then at the sledgehammer, and rammed it straight into Steiner's stomach. Flair was next, whacking Steiner in the head with the World Heavyweight belt. Even Camilla got into the fun, delivering a nice superkick to Steiner's forehead, her shoe opening a cut on Steiner's forehead. Finally, Batista grabbed Steiner and laid him out with a thunderous Batista Bomb. With Steiner bleeding and unconscious, Triple H grabbed a microphone.

"This group standing right here is the best collection of talent in the business! We are the past, the present, and the future of the WWE! We are the 'Evolution' of this business, and if you find yourself like Mr. Steiner here, Evolution has passed you by!" Hunter, Flair, Batista, and Camilla raised each other's arms in the air and Randy and Matthew did their signature poses again on the turnbuckles, all with Steiner busted open and knocked out on the mat.

* * *

Matthew unwrapped the bandage from his head on Thursday afternoon on advice from the trainer. Camilla inspected the wound to find that it had healed nicely. 

"I still can't get over how awesome you were out there last Monday. You really looked like you were having fun out there."

Matthew smiled. "Being out there with Randy really makes me feel happy. It was like feeling a different part of me rise to the surface. I really felt like a completely different person. Last night was quite possibly one of the best in my life. But ... where'd you learn to superkick that well?"

Camilla giggled. "Just took a page out of HBK's book, that's all. It's not that hard to do. Now you'll have to watch out for me out there."

"You? In the ring?" Matthew started to laugh uncontrollably.

"Hey! Who's not to say I can become the Women's Champion?"

Matthew didn't respond because he couldn't stop laughing. Randy heard this from next door and poked his head inside the room to see what was going on.

"Randy, do you think I can become the Women's Champion?"

Randy lifted an eyebrow and started to laugh. Camilla was dumbfounded, watching Randy double over in laughter. "You guys are jerks, geez!" She punched Matthew in the stomach and gave Randy a superkick to the gut, then stormed downstairs, pouting. Matt stumbled to his feet and chased after her.

"Camilla! Wait! I was kidding!"

She turned around and faced him with her arms folded. "Matt, I see how much fun you guys have out there and I want to take part."

"It's not all fun, you know. You can get seriously hurt out there."

"But as long as you're in my corner, I'll be fine. You wouldn't let me get hurt."

Randy had now made his way to the base of the stairs, still clutching his stomach. "Seriously though, Camilla, it could be possible. Think about it. Every single belt on RAW could be in the hands of Evolution. Hunter has the World Heavyweight title, I'll have the World Tag Team titles with Matt, who'll also have the Intercontinental title, and you'll have the Women's title."

"I like that idea." Everyone turned around to see Hunter coming out of the living room. He turned to Camilla and said, "Do you think you can handle it?"

"With Matthew by my side, I can handle anything", she replied, giving Matthew a hug.

"Good. We'll start training you tomorrow."

Hunter left the hallway and Matt looked down at his girlfriend. "Are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into?"

"I'm a big girl, Matt. I can handle it."

Camilla left the brothers to go to the kitchen and Matthew and Randy started climbing the stairs to go back to their rooms.

"Hey, Matt ... I was thinking ... what if you lose at No Way Out?"

"Lose? I'll chase Eric down and beat the title out of him."

"No ... I mean, concerning Camilla."

Matthew stopped walking and pondered this for a short while. "I don't know. I guess I never really planned on that happening. Well ... there's always RAW the next night."

Randy didn't get the desired effect he was looking for. "Why don't you wait until WrestleMania? There's nothing bigger than that."

"WrestleMania? Jeez ... that's ... that's huge. Would they even put me on the card?"

"Are you serious? Bischoff would be crazy not to put one of his brightest upcoming prospects in WrestleMania!"

"You really think so?"

"I **know** so."

"... Alright. I'll wait until WrestleMania. Thanks, Randy." Matt jokingly punched Randy in the shoulder and went into his room. Randy kept standing in the hallway.

"_Well ... that gave me another month or so. I gotta keep working with him. He's rushing into this way too quickly."_

Matthew turned on the PlayStation2 he had bought for himself with his first paycheck. He popped in Kingdom Hearts and started to work on the Halloween Town world, having been stuck there for a good three weeks. After failing to defeat Oogie Boogie for ... well ... he lost count, Matt tossed his controller against the wall and sulked. He decided to go out running to blow off that steam and changed into some good workout gear. As he was walking out the door, Matt's cell phone went off.

"Hello?"

"Matt ... "

It was Eric.

"What do you want?"

"Listen ... can we talk ... in person?"

"Why? You've already turned your back on me. You don't have to do it again."

"Matthew, I don't want to fight you at No Way Out."

Matt was stunned. "What? Why?"

"If it were under any other circumstances, I'd be glad to get in the ring with you again. But I don't want to fight you like this. Not with such hostility. Matthew, we were friends! Best friends! Now you consider me your worst enemy. Hell, when you tried to interfere in my match against Batista, you looked like you wanted to rip my head off! This is stupid! Are you going to let Triple H manipulate you into losing a best friend?"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute ... _you_ were the one that decided to leave Evolution!"

"Because I couldn't stand to see your personality change like that! You're more aggressive, you're more vicious ... totally different than in high school! Even Camilla realizes this! So does Randy!"

"So what do you want me to do? Leave Evolution?"

There was a long pause at the other end of the line. "No. Leaving Evolution would tear you apart from Randy and Camilla. Just ... just take me back as a friend."

"So ... you're asking me to become your friend again ... when _you_ were the one that betrayed me? **Screw you, Eric**!"

Matt hung up the phone and slammed it down on the bed. Randy poked his head into the room.

"You okay, man? I heard you screaming."

"Eric had the nerve to call me."

"Eric? Why?"

"He's chickening out of No Way Out. Eric doesn't want to fight me because he feels guilty about betraying Evolution."

Randy thought for a moment before speaking. "You're lying."

Matthew was shocked, looking at his brother in disbelief. "How ... how could you tell?"

"Eric doesn't feel guilty about betraying Evolution. He just wants to be friends again. Matthew, you've changed since San Antonio. You're ..."

Matthew finished Randy's sentence. "More aggressive and more vicious?" Randy nodded. "Exactly what Eric said."

"I think you should call him back." Matthew looked up at Randy with a bewildered look on his face. "Call him back and apologize. Tell him you want to be friends again. Look at it this way. What if I was Eric? What if, God forbid, we had some sort of rift between us that caused you to go completely apeshit every time you saw me? I couldn't fight you like that! Sure, if it's friendly competition, I'd be happy to kick your ass. But if you wanted to tear me apart in that ring? Forget it. I'd rather leave the WWE than have my little brother hate me. Eric feels the same way, but as your best friend. In his eyes, you two are still tight. But you ... you think he's the scum of the earth."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I don't let things come between and a friend. Look at me and Cena. We still goof off with each other even though we're on different brands. You shouldn't let something come between you and Eric."

Matthew started to shake his head. "No. Eric started this. Eric was the one who turned his back on me. Next week, I'm calling him out and challenging him to a match. If he's any sort of a man, he'll accept."

"And what is that going to accomplish? Just beating the shit out of him for no apparent reason? And what does this say for our bond, Matt? If I piss you off, will you never talk to me again? Will you want to rip my head off? Will you want to ram my head into the ground, just because you can't come to terms with your own ego?"

"How the hell can you say that to me? You're my brother, Randy! I'd never turn my back on you!"

"I know that, Matt, but that isn't my point. You're letting your desire to get to the top of the WWE wreck your personal life. You need to be able to separate the two."

Matthew looked at Randy, not able to make a comeback. He picked up the phone next to him and dialed Eric's number. Before hitting the "send" button, he spoke one more time to Randy. "I don't know how you do it, but you convince me every single time."

Randy grinned. "I'm supposed to do that. The big brother instinct."

"Hello?"

"Eric."

"Matthew."

"Listen ... I ... I'm sorry. I ... I ... "

"That's all I needed to hear, Matt. Now, I can kick your ass at No Way Out."

Matt chuckled. "But before that ... I propose for a match next week on RAW. Whoever wins gets to choose the match type for No Way Out."

"I like it. Run it by Bischoff and I'll see you in the ring."

The line went dead and Randy slapped Matt's back. "That's the brother I want to know."

* * *

_The time for internal strife is over. Matthew finally comes to the realization that he needs to take a chill pill. He has now patched relationships with Randy, Camilla, and now Eric. How can things get any better? And how will Triple H react to the news that Eric and Matthew are now on good terms? And how will Camilla's in-ring training start out?_

_More to come later this week! Don't forget to review!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	21. Suggestion

_Lucky number **twenty-one**. Last chapter, Matthew and Randy had the best moment of their lives when they successfully tagged together in their match against Scott Steiner. Plus, Evolution came to be known as a force to be reckoned with when Scott Steiner got his payback for busting Matthew's forehead open. And, after seeing the brothers work well together in the ring, Camilla is now interested in joining them and eventually becoming the WWE Women's Champion. Finally, Matthew patched things up with Eric and the pair are now friends again._

_But what goes up must come down. Hope you like this one! Don't forget to review!_

* * *

Matthew went out running after his conversation with Eric. He convinced Randy and Camilla to join him; a little jog couldn't hurt. Together, they ran laps around the house. Camilla was already tired after the fourth go-around and went inside to fill some water bottles. With Camilla now gone, Randy and Matt decided to goof off and race around the house to see who could jump in the pool first. Randy made it to the pool, but stopped short of jumping in. With Matthew still running at full speed, Randy turned around and back body dropped Matthew into the water. Randy stood outside, high and dry, laughing his ass off. Matthew resurfaced and gave his brother a look. 

"... you're an ass, you know that?"

"No, you're just stupid."

Camilla was walking outside, water bottles in hand. She had watched the whole incident from the kitchen window. "Can't you guys act like adults for two seconds?"

"Technically, I'm not an adult yet, so I have an excuse", Matthew called out. "But Randy, on the other hand..."

"I'm only 22 ... come on. We're just trying to catch up on the time we spent apart. You can't blame us for that, right?"

"Well ... I guess not. Just ... don't do it all the time."

"I think you might have to deal with it for a year or two", Randy replied.

"Or when he does something to piss me off", Matt yelled.

"I've done that already ... more than once, even."

"Okay ... when you do something to really piss me off, then."

"Did that too."

"I don't think you're going to win, Matthew", Camilla interjected. "Aren't we gonna start running again? You guys dragged me out here in the first place!"

"Dragged?", Matthew asked. "You volunteered yourself for this. We're just trying to help you get an early start on your training."

A light bulb turned on in Camilla's head. "Is that what you're trying to do? Then both of you get your butts in that ring. I'll show you something I've been wanting to do for a long time."

"Whoa, whoa ... you want to take _me_ on?", Matthew asked in a cocky tone.

"That's right, hotshot. Get in the ring." Camilla strolled over to the ring while Randy and Matthew looked at each other with a confused look on their faces. Matthew climbed out of the pool, took his shirt off, and wringed it out to use to dry himself off. Matt slid into the ring, Camilla getting into Matthew's face.

"Whoa, Camilla ... what the hell got into you?"

"I have to toughen myself up, don't I? I can't let those WWE women get under my skin."

Matthew raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You really want that Women's belt, don't you?"

"As much as you want that Intercontinental one."

"... Alright then. I'll let you have the first shot."

"I'm not going to go easy on you."

Randy was confused. "Wait, wait ... you're not going to hit her, are you, Matt?"

"Hit her? No ... of course not. I don't need to to pin her."

This set Camilla off. "Get on your back then. You'll regret saying that."

Matthew shook his head and did so. He put both hands behind his head, closed his eyes, and lounged in the sun for a bit. He could feel his legs being lifted up in the air, but didn't think anything of it. However, he started to panic when Camilla twisted his legs around one of hers. She flipped Matthew over and sat down, locking in a Sharpshooter on her boyfriend. Randy stood outside the ring with his jaw to the ground while Matthew yelped in pain. He started to drag himself to the bottom rope, but couldn't go far; the pain on his lower back was too great to do anything. Camilla was laughing in amusement. Randy couldn't get over the fact that Camilla was about to make his brother tap out.

Hunter was on the phone in the house, but heard someone screaming outside. He looked out the window at the backyard and saw Matthew trying to wiggle out of a Sharpshooter.

_"A Sharpshooter? Where'd Randy learn to do that?"_

His thought reversed itself when he looked up to see Camilla, of all people, applying the hold. Meanwhile, Matthew finally couldn't take it anymore. He slammed his palm against the mat repeatedly.

"Okay, alright! You made your point! I give up!"

Camilla finally let go and Randy started a clap. "Wow ... I'm ... I'm impressed." He climbed in the ring and outstretched his hand for Camilla to shake it. She accepted, but immediately tripped up Randy and locked his left arm in between her legs. Camilla then pulled back on Randy's head with both hands, locking in Chris Benoit's Crippler Crossface. Hunter finally made it outside to see Randy tapping out. Camilla got up and started giggling uncontrollably, throwing her arms in the air triumphantly.

"What ... what the hell did you do?", a stunned Hunter asked.

"I just made the two youngest men of Evolution tap out, Hunter. Impressed?"

Hunter looked down at Matthew grabbing at his back and Randy holding his neck in pain to confirm what she was saying. "... very." He was about to get into the ring to congratulate her, but stepped back, not wanting her slap a submission on him. Matt and Randy slowly got to their feet, clutching their back and neck, respectively.

"Where ... how ... who ... what? How did you learn that?", Matthew asked.

"TV. I didn't listen to the 'please don't try this at home' part."

Randy spoke up. "What ... what else do you know?"

"I could show you."

Randy and Matthew quickly slipped out the ring before Camilla could grab either of them again. After shaking her head in laughter, Camilla climbed onto the second turnbuckle and posed just like the brothers did the night before, arms outstretched behind her. The Ortons started to chuckle and, with Hunter, retreated back into the house. Camilla saw this and yelled out ...

"**Ladies and gentlemen, your new WWE Women's Champion, Camilla!**"

Back in the house, Hunter went to the workout room while Randy and Matthew decided to stay in the living room and watch some television. After Matthew flipped through the channels and settled on watching Wheel of Fortune, the doorbell rang. Randy got up to open it, revealing Eric behind the door.

"Hey, Eric, what's goin' on?"

"Nothin' much, Randy." They shook each other's hands and Eric stepped into the living room. Matthew shot up from the couch and faced down Eric with a look of anger on his face. Both Randy and Eric were a little surprised at Matthew's reaction; they thought the hostility was over with. An awkward silence filled the room while Matthew stared Eric in the eyes. Randy looked down to see Matthew ball his fist and stepped over to restrain him, but stopped when he saw his little brother smile. Eric breathed a sigh of relief and gave his best friend a hug and a slap on the back.

"Glad to have ya back, Matt", Eric said.

"Same here, Eric. Same here. Where have you been staying?"

"I paid for a hotel for a couple of weeks after you kicked me out."

"Go get all your stuff and come back here. You're moving back into the guest house."

"No way! **AWESOME, DUDE!** ... but ... but what about Hunter? What'll he say?"

"Forget him. A friend is a friend. Never leave them behind." Matthew seemed to remember saying that before. "We'll help you load everything up and get it over here."

"Eric!" They all turned to see Camilla finally coming in from the backyard. She gave him a short hug and erupted in words. "You'll _never _guess what I did in the ..."

"**Okay!** Let's get going to your hotel room, shall we?", Matthew interjected, not wanting Camilla to speak of what just occurred.

"Wait, wait ... I want to hear what happened. Go ahead, Camilla."

"I made both Randy and Matthew tap out."

Eric stood wide-eyed at Camilla, then turned slowly to face Matt and Randy, who were trying to avoid making eye contact. "Is ... is this true?", Eric asked with a laugh.

"... yeah ... it is."

"Eric started laughing heartily while Randy and Matthew stood there with dejected looks on their faces. Suddenly, Camilla chopped Eric's legs out from behind, sending Eric to his knees. She then superkicked him in the back, making Eric yelp in pain and fall to his stomach. Camilla finally applied Eric's own Camel Clutch on him while the brothers exploded in laughter. Eric screamed in agony as Camilla tried her hardest to make her tap out count for the day increase by one. Camilla finally felt Eric tap against her thigh, letting go of his neck.

"Strike three, you guys are out!", Camilla exclaimed, her arms in the air in triumph once again.

Matt helped Eric to his feet. "Don't feel bad, man. I got the Sharpshooter and Randy got the Crossface. She's damn good at it and Hunter wants her to train up to become the Women's champ."

Eric, holding his neck, replied, "With holds like that, she'll get to the strap with no trouble."

A deep voice rang out behind them. "What the hell are **you** doing here, Barringer?"

They all turned around to see Hunter staring Eric straight in the eye with a cold, unforgiving look. "Who invited you back here?"

Matthew stood in front of Eric. "I did. And he's moving back in with us."

"With who's permission?", Hunter asked, growing angrier.

"Mine.", Matthew replied sharply, becoming increasingly irritated. "Do you have a problem with that, Hunter? This **is** my house, after all."

"**Our** house", Randy corrected.

Hunter walked up to Matthew and looked down at him in the eye. "I think you're forgetting who the leader of Evolution is, Orton."

"What makes you think he wants to come back to Evolution? Eric had his reasons for leaving, and I respect that. That's doesn't mean he can't be my friend."

"Anyone who isn't with Evolution is an _**enemy **_of Evolution." Hunter began raising his voice and tightening a fist.

"Anyone who isn't with Evolution is an enemy of **yours**, Hunter. You formed Evolution for one reason and one reason only: to keep that World Heavyweight strap on your waist. You never cared about our futures. You were raising us to be your bodyguards and nothing more."

"Take ... that ... back ... **right ... now ... Orton.**"

Randy attempted to salvage the situation and pulled Matthew away from Hunter. "Matt's ... Matt's just a little irate after tapping out to Camilla's Sharpshooter, nothing more."

"He better be, or he'd be out of Evolution just like Barringer."

Eric decided to speak. "Hunter, I may be your enemy, but I have nothing against you at all. You're a legendary wrestler; I just didn't agree with what you were doing with my career. You got me into this business successfully and on a great note, and I appreciate that. However, I want to go into a different direction."

"You're headed on a collision course with Evolution anyway, Barringer. Orton will be the last man standing at No Way Out."

"We'll see about that, Hunter. He knows that I'm not going to go easy on him, and he's said the same to me."

"Wait ... Hunter ...", Matthew interrupted. "I've got an idea. The match at No Way Out. If he wins, Eric is back in Evolution."

Hunter looked at Matthew with a skeptical look. After pondering a bit, Hunter smiled and nodded. "On one condition."

"Name it."

"The match becomes a Last Man Standing match."

Matthew and Eric looked at each other with shocked looks on their faces. Camilla covered her mouth with both hands and Randy was utterly bewildered. "Hunter ... you can't make them do that! That's ... that's just horrible!"

"If Eric wants to get back into Evolution, he'll accept it, Randy." Hunter looked back at Eric and Matthew, who retreated to a corner of the room to discuss things over.

"... what do you want to do?", Eric asked his best friend.

"We accept his condition. I want you back in Evolution."

"Wait ... so are you just going to lay down for me?"

"Are you nuts? Of course not. I want that title just as much as you do. If you deserve to be back in Evolution, you'll knock me out for the ten-count. If not, I'll have that title on my waist."

"But ... I thought you wanted to be friends again."

Matthew sighed. "Randy told me that I needed to separate my professional from my personal life. Outside of the ring, we're best buds and we've got each other's back. But inside that ring, we'll kick the hell out of each other if need be. If you want to be back in Evolution, you'll beat me at No Way Out, but I'm going to try my hardest to win the Intercontinental title."

Eric looked at his friend deep in thought. After a bit, Eric said, "You're gonna be hurtin' after No Way Out then."

Matthew chuckled. "I think we'll both be hurtin'. Last Man Standing matches are brutal."

"No holding back then?"

Matthew shook his head. "No holding back."

The two shook each others hand, then went back to where Randy, Camilla, and Hunter were standing. Randy was arguing with Hunter to try to get the stipulation dropped.

"We'll do it."

Randy stopped talking and spun around to face the friends. "But ..."

"Separate professional and personal lives. Right, Randy?", Matthew asked.

"Well ... yeah ... but ..."

"We understand and we accept your condition, Hunter."

Triple H smiled and returned to the workout room. Camilla was still in shock and tried to convince Matthew to stop.

"Matt, you don't have to do this. You could really hurt each other out there."

"I think it's better like this."

Randy cocked his head at Matthew in confusion. "Better?! How could it be better?!"

"This will be one hell of a test of our friendship, Randy. If we can get through this, it'll prove that this bond is strong as it can be. It'll be a win-win situation. If Eric wins, he'll be back in Evolution. If I win, I'll have both the title and still have my best friend."

* * *

Monday night had rolled around again, and Evolution's limo was heading from the hotel to the arena. RAW was in Las Vegas this week, and Triple H had spared no expense to treat the younger members of the stable. The previous night, they had easily racked up a $2,500 bill for dinner. When they got back to the hotel, Matthew and Camilla had spent part of the night looking at the stars again. They fell asleep in each other's arms out on the patio of their suite. When they woke up the next morning, Camilla gave Matthew the longest kiss she ever remembered giving him. 

"Ew ... morning breath."

"Matthew!", Camilla yelled back in reply. She punched Matthew in the chest and left to go to shower. Randy walked out onto the patio after Camilla stormed through the door.

"I know our match for tonight."

"_Our _match? So we're tagging together again?"

"Yeah ... it's a six man elimination tag. You, me, and Hunter against Steiner, Booker T, and Eric."

Matthew's smile was wiped off his face when he heard Eric's name. "Looks like we get a preview of No Way Out tonight."

"We'll be fine. Triple H won't allow us to lose."

Matthew nodded, but looked at the sky. "Hunter made the match."

Randy cocked his head to the side. "What makes you say that?"

"He's testing me ... and my loyalty to Evolution. He knows I want to break off."

Randy knew this as well. "Matt, it's way too early to break off. We've got to go at least a year with everyone."

"A year? Randy, let's do it at WrestleMania. You, me, Eric, and Camilla will form a new group. We'll take out Evolution and stop it in it's tracks."

"That's still too soon." Randy paused and shook his head. "Listen. There will come a time where one of us will get a shot at the World title. When either of us comes out on top, we'll leave. Like you said, Hunter is using us for bodyguards. He'll want whoever wins the title to give it back. We won't let that happen. You, me, Eric, and Camilla will overtake Evolution then."

"That may be years from now, Randy."

"Hunter isn't invincible! He's going to drop the title one of these days. We'll get it and then leave Evolution. You have Dave's respect; maybe we can pull him with us too. Hunter said that we were the future of this business. That's just it: we're **the future**, not the present. Our time will come, Matt."

"I hope you're right."

Matthew thought about that morning's conversation as the limo pulled into the arena parking lot. Getting out, Matthew saw Eric in the parking garage and waved, getting one in return.

The night passed quickly because the only thing on the mind of Randy and Matthew was tonight's match.

_"Tonight will be the night that determines my future in the WWE. Matthew has a hot temper, and secrecy could be easily blown. Hunter might provoke Matthew somehow and bring our plan to light, and we'll be done."_

Randy looked over at his little brother and prayed that he would have the sense not to do anything stupid.

_"I know something's coming. I have to control my emotions tonight. I'm not going to blow our cover."_

Before long, Triple H and both Ortons were standing behind the curtain. Hunter handed a CD to the audio tech and the new Evolution theme song, "Line in the Sand", starting blaring in the arena.

"The following contest is a 6-man elimination tag team match. Making their way to the ring, at a combined weight of 749 pounds, the team of Matthew Orton, Randy Orton, and Triple H ... Evolution!"

Each Orton stood at one side of the stage and posed while Hunter did his signature posing with the water bottle. They walked to the ring behind Hunter, Matthew keeping an eye on what Hunter was doing at all times. Once they got to the ring, another round of poses ensued. Matt and Randy slammed fists together before facing the stage.

The sirens started to blare.

"And introducing their opponents, at a combined weight of 759 pounds, the team of Eric Barringer, Booker T, and Scott Steiner!"

Steiner, Booker, and Eric got into the ring, with Steiner staring down HHH, Booker staring down Randy, and Eric staring down Matthew. In the smallest of voices, Matthew whispered to Eric ... _"__Watch your back. Hunter has something planned." _Eric gave the slightest of nods.

And then, the bell rang.

* * *

_Is Matthew correct in thinking that this match is a test from Triple H? Will Matthew blow his top and reveal his intentions to the world? Will Matthew and Randy still be in Evolution at the end of RAW?_

_What happens in the next chapter will define the beginning of the careers of the Orton brothers._

_Please read and review. I hope you liked it._

_SuspiciousInitials _


	22. Irreplaceable

_Its judgment day for Matthew, at least in his eyes. He's going to have to face whatever Triple H throws at him in this match. Will he pass? And will Randy stay on the same path as his brother?_

_Here we go. Hope you enjoy it._

* * *

As the bell rang, Triple H and Eric were deemed the legal men. Hunter had a giant smirk on his face; he had been wanting to smash Eric's face in for quite some time. They ran at each other and grappled in the middle of the ring, with Triple H getting the upper hand. Hunter backed Eric into his corner and started unloading punch after punch straight into Eric's head. After Eric was punched to the floor, Hunter walked over and slapped Matthew on the shoulder, tagging him in. 

Matthew stared at Hunter with a cautious glance and climbed into the ring. _"No holding back"_, Matthew said to himself, whipping Eric into the ropes. On the rebound, Matt flipped Eric over with a back body drop. With Eric down, Matt climbed to the turnbuckle. Instead of his usual leg drop, Matt decided to try the Swanton Bomb he had been practicing lately, but never got off the turnbuckle; Steiner had yanked on the top rope hard, causing Matt to fall down and rack himself. Eric took advantage, climbing up and readying himself for a superplex. The crowd was anticipating it as well, building up volume as Matthew was lifted up, hitting the mat hard on his back.

Eric tagged in Steiner, who immediately slapped in the Steiner Recliner. Matthew was yelling in pain, but was close enough to the ropes for Randy to kick Steiner in the head. The referee occupied himself with Randy, allowing Hunter to come in and take a couple of cheap shots at Steiner. Booker stepped into the ring and tried to defend Steiner, but was met with a stiff superkick to the head from a revitalized Matthew. Hunter rolled Booker out of the ring and Steiner was now getting to his feet. Matt signaled to the crowd for the MKO, getting a mixed reaction from them. Big Poppa Pump finally was facing Matt, but Steiner caught Matt's foot en route to his stomach. He spun Orton around and tossed him overhead with a belly-to-belly suplex. Luckily for Matt, he flew over to his own corner and tagged in Hunter.

Matt had landed on his shoulder pretty hard coming down from that suplex and Randy was concerned. While Hunter and Steiner battled it out, Randy tried to learn of Matt's condition.

"You okay, man?"

"I ... think so. It's just aggravated, that's all."

"Can you go on?"

Matthew stared at Randy with a confused look on his face. "Of course I can, dumbass."

Randy chuckled and looked back in on the action, where Hunter had Steiner in another corner, ramming his head into the turnbuckle. He whipped Steiner into his own corner, knocking Booker and Eric off the apron. Hunter caught Steiner with a knee to the face, then put Big Poppa Pump in position for the Pedigree. The crowd cheered as Steiner's face was rammed into the ground.

"1, 2, 3!"

Big Poppa Pump was gone. It was now 2 on 3. Hunter tagged in Randy for the first time in the match and went to work on Booker, who was just climbing into the ring. Hunter now checked on Matthew.

"How's your shoulder?"

"I'm ... I'm fine. Believe me, if it had separated again, you would hear me scream bloody murder."

Booker and Randy were now battling back and forth, momentum shifting several times. Booker had set Randy up for a back body drop, but Orton gave him a stiff kick to the chest. Randy motioned over to Matthew and Matt nodded in response. Hunter distracted the ref while Matthew slipped into the ring. Booker was slowly recovering while the brothers were setting him up. With one swift motion, a double RKO laid Booker out on the canvas.

"1, 2, 3!"

Eric was now partnerless. It might as well have been a 3-on-1 handicap match. He slowly got into the ring to face Randy down. The two had never faced each other in the ring, although they had trained together beforehand. Eric was ready to prove himself. He exploded with kicks to Randy's legs, aiming to bring the taller man down. Randy quickly moved to the corner and tagged in Matthew.

The crowd broke out in anticipation, eager to see this confrontation. Matthew launched himself at Eric with a spear, but Eric dodged, sending Matthew past the turnbuckle and into the metal pole in the corner. Randy realized that Matthew hit his shoulder hard against the pole and began to worry, seeing his brother grab at his upper arm in pain. Eric dragged Matthew back in the ring and applied a shoulder lock to the bad arm. Matt yelled out in pain as he reached toward his corner with the other arm. The pain was unbearable, but Orton not dare tap out in front of Triple H. He put both feet on the mat and forced himself up, pushing against Eric's hold. Matt lifted a knee up, catching Eric where it hurt and sending Eric wincing in pain to the mat.

Matt crawled over to his corner and tagged in Randy, who went over and circled Eric's body like a vulture, stomping on him every so often. Randy posed over Eric, getting some boos from the crowd. Eric looked up and took his chance. He caught Randy with a cradle pin.

"1, 2, 3!"

The audience went wild and Matthew and Hunter were staring at the older Orton in disgust. Matthew sprung into the ring in response, charging at Eric again. However, Eric knew better and dodged again; this time, Matthew speared the referee. Hunter smiled, setting his plan into motion. While Eric and Matthew fought in the ring, Triple H dug under the ring and pulled out the sledgehammer. Matthew had managed to land a superkick to the back of Eric's head and signaled once again for the MKO. Before he started to pull up Eric, Triple H climbed into the ring, sledgehammer in hand. He raised the weapon up above his head and Matthew's heart sank to his stomach.

_"Is this the test?"_

Triple H remained in that position for a bit, then brought the sledgehammer down to the ground. Looking at Matthew, he handed the weapon to the younger Orton .

"You do it."

Matthew was thrown for a loop. _"You fucking bastard..."_, Matthew thought to himself, staring his mentor in the eyes. Matthew looked down at the now recovering Eric, then down at the sledgehammer. Hunter turned around to get back on the apron, and Matthew took aim at the back of Hunter's head.

Time had stopped.

Back in the locker room, Batista, Flair, Camilla, and Randy stood transfixed at a monitor, horrified at the thought of what was about to happen. Randy was especially angry.

_"IF YOU DO THIS, I'LL COME AFTER YOU AND BASH YOUR HEAD IN!"_, Randy screamed at the TV screen. Camilla was shocked at Randy's words and tried to restrain him from leaving the room, but it was no use; Randy had managed to escape her grasp and dash out to the entrance ramp. Randy made it to the stage, but it was already too late. Matt had swung and hit his target in the back.

Eric writhed on the mat, his upper back aching intensely. For Hunter, this actually surprised him; Hunter had actually expected a shot to the back from Matthew's swing. As the referee started to stir, Matthew lifted Eric up and down with the MKO.

"1, 2, 3!"

"Here are your winners, Triple H and Matthew Orton!"

Randy breathed a sigh of relief and smiled as he watched Matthew pose on the turnbuckle. He dove into the ring and hugged his little brother, raising his arm into the air. While Triple H was reaching for the microphone, Randy secretly asked Matthew a question.

"Did you actually think of hitting Hunter?"

"... with every fiber of my being."

"Why didn't you hit him?"

Matthew looked up at Randy. "You told me to wait until the time was right. I did this for you, Randy."

The older Orton smiled and hugged his little bro again before Triple H started saying something about No Way Out again. Matthew didn't really care what he had to say. It was going to be incredibly difficult to keep his cover; Matt had nearly blown it tonight. But for now, the important thing for him was that Evolution was still on top and that he had earned the trust of Triple H.

* * *

Sitting on the patio of the hotel suite, Matthew looked up at the night sky and pondered his actions. Camilla came from inside the room and sat down next to him. 

"What are you thinking?"

"About Eric."

Camilla shook her head before replying. "Matthew, this isn't something I can help you with. I know you want to split from Evolution, but you have to live with it right now. Tonight was probably the only time you'll be able to do something like you did to cover your tracks."

Frustrated, Matthew shot back a response. "Then what do you want me to do?! No matter what path I choose, I'm going to lose something. I stay friends with Eric, I lose my spot in Evolution and possibly my brother. I stay true to Evolution, I lose my best friend. Anything else, Triple H comes after me." Matthew stifled back a sob and put his head in his hands. "I ... I just don't know what to do."

Camilla put her arm around Matthew to try to comfort him. "Then maybe you shouldn't be a wrestler. If this is the kind of situation that you're going to be in constantly and you can't handle it ..."

"But ... but ... I won't be around Randy anymore. I missed sixteen years with him and I can't stand missing more." Matthew paused before saying anything else and wiped the tears from his face. "Has ... has Eric called you yet?"

"Yes. He ... he didn't sound too happy, but he'll be at the house when we get there."

"I'm not looking forward to seeing him again, especially after what I did."

Camilla sighed. "I can't even believe you managed to do that."

"I _almost_ hit Hunter. If it wasn't for me thinking about what Randy had said this morning, I would have smacked Hunter's head open."

"I'm glad you didn't", said a voice coming from the door. Camilla and Matthew turned to see Randy standing in the doorway. "Matt, I know this is going to be hard for you. But you overcame the hardest obstacle that you're going to face. You gave up your best friend."

"Gave up!?"

"Do you really think that he's still going to like you after whacking him in the back with a sledgehammer? You must be nuts! Hunter was never going to let Eric back into Evolution, whether or not you won the Intercontinental title. You cross Hunter enough to piss him off, you never win back his respect. That's how he is. You should know that."

"But ... Eric and I agreed to not hold back."

"That was for the match at No Way Out. Eric is probably going to confront you back at home and leave; this time, for good."

"Did ... did you and Hunter plan this? Did you _want_ me to get rid of Eric?"

Randy nodded.

"What about all that crap you gave me about apologizing to Eric that day back at home? Was that a load of bullshit too?"

"It was for your own good. Eric was just hindering your progress."

"_Progress?!_ So Eric is disposible now?! ... You're ... you're no better than Triple H. You're a lying, emotionless, manipulative bastard!"

Randy grabbed Matthew by the neck, lifted him up, and slammed him against the brick wall.

"I was raised in this business. I watched everything Dad did and learned from his mistakes. You've been gone for nearly all my life! I'm trying to teach you the same things I learned! If you can't appreciate that, I might as well toss you back to San Antonio!"

"... I can't believe how much you've messed up my life. All this time, we've tried to bond. We've had our emotions rattled, shoulders separated, heads slamming on the mat ... and all of it was to make me into a puppet? That conversation this morning ... there was no truth to it. You probably told Hunter, didn't you?! Is he waiting outside the front door waiting to slam me against the wall?"

Randy let go. "I never told Hunter."

Matthew started to shake with anger. His face was turning red and he was starting to sweat. "If Camilla wasn't here, I would rip your head off."

"What I said this morning was true."

"Bullshit."

"No. Our time _will_ come. But you need to learn how to work in this business."

"What happened to my brother? What happened to the guy I could confide in when I needed to? What happened to the guy **I could trust?**"

"He's standing right in front of you. I still love my baby brother."

Matthew froze. "You've ... you've never called me ... _baby_ brother ..." Tears started to flow and Matt slid down the wall, collapsing in emotion. He began to sob uncontrollably at the one little trigger that Randy pulled. Camilla walked over to comfort Matthew, but Randy held up a hand to stop her.

"I need to do this." Randy picked up Matt and gave him another hug. Randy could feel the tears start to soak his the right side of his shirt and one solitary tear fell down his own cheek.

"We shouldn't do this every few weeks", Matthew said.

"Shouldn't do what?"

"Almost kill each other."

Randy laughed. Matthew wiped the tears on the sleeve of his shirt. Camilla breathed a sigh of relief. Randy asked one last question.

"You okay about Eric?"

"No. I don't think I ever will. But I've learned one thing."

"What's that?"

"You can always make new friends, but brothers are irreplaceable."

* * *

Matthew looked out the window at a fastly approaching St. Louis. Evolution was on the plane back home. Matt knew that Eric would be there and didn't know how to approach him. No matter what happened, Matt was going to remain loyal to Evolution; it would be easier now because of what happened the previous night. The bond between the brothers had been repeatedly weakened, but repeatedly reinforced right afterwards. Now, it was stronger than ever. Evolution wouldn't be such a bad thing at all. 

"_We'll win titles, piss people off, be at the top of the WWE ... all great fun"_, Matthew thought to himself.

Camilla rested her head on Matthew's shoulder as they made the landing into the airport. A short trip to the baggage claim and everyone was in a limo on the way to the house.

While on the way there, Matthew decided to spill his guts to Triple H. "Hunter ... I know about yesterday."

"You surprised me out there, Matt. I've gotta say, I'm proud of ya."

"I passed the test then, didn't I?"

"Yep. Now tell me one more thing. What are you going to do when we get to your house?"

"If Eric's already there ... or when he gets there ... I'm going to tell him to leave. He's just something holding me back."

Hunter looked over at Randy and grinned. "Ya know ... you guys work well out there. Depending on what happens at No Way Out, I think you two will be our tag team."

Matthew looked over at his brother and gave him a high-five. "This is assuming what?"

"Well ... if you win the Intercontinental belt, we'll hold off for a bit. If not, I'm gonna make sure you two go to WrestleMania for those Tag belts."

"_WrestleMania?"_, Matthew thought. _"We'll win the World Tag Team titles ... then I'll propose to Camilla."_

At that moment, Camilla reached over and put her hand on Matthew's. The two exchanged glances and gave each other a long kiss. Flair chuckled. "Kids."

The limo soon pulled into the driveway, but was stopped by something in the road. Batista, Hunter, Flair, Randy, and Matthew all got out to see Eric blocking the driveway. Matthew walked up to him.

Eric had the first words. "I guess you didn't hold back."

"Nope. Not at all."

"I never thought you would stoop to something that low."

"Low? You had that coming when you left Evolution. You had a future with us. But that sledgehammer shot? It's just part of the business."

"Part of the business, eh?" Everyone could sense that tension was building and the rest of Evolution converged behind Matthew.

"I'm not going to wait until No Way Out. Next Monday night, I'm paying you back for just tossing away your best friend."

Matthew smirked. "Remember that match we were supposed to have? The one where we pick a stipulation?"

"What's your point?"

"I say we still have that match. However, the loser has to answer a five-count instead of a ten-count at No Way Out."

Eric hesitated, but replied with a hardy "You're on". Eric had a couple of bags with him and walked down to the sidewalk, where a taxi picked him up and whisked him away to downtown St. Louis. Randy slapped Matt on the back as they watched the yellow vehicle drive on down the road.

"That's what I wanted to hear", Randy said to his little brother.

"That actually felt good to say. The little bastard's gonna get a taste of me next week."

Hunter stepped up beside Matthew as the group started to walk towards the house. "I was wrong about you, Matt. Whatever Randy said to you last night must have been convincing."

"Heh ... it's funny how one word can change everything."

* * *

_Oh boy. Matthew is now tight as ever with Randy, despite another incident of nearly beating the living crap out each other. __However, Eric and Matthew have turned from best friends to the bitterest of enemies. Monday night, one of them will receive a severe handicap heading into No Way Out. And what does Camilla think of all of this? And will I pass my finals?_

_Okay, that had nothing to do with this. I just hate college. Please review!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	23. Regeneration

_Time for some humor. Then back to the action. Randy, Camilla, and Matthew eat Chinese food and discuss several things. On the next RAW, things just get more complicated when Eric and Matthew face off in a match to determine who will get the five-count handicap at No Way Out._

_Hope you like it! _

* * *

Back at home, Matthew had just finished placing an order for some Chinese to be delivered. He, along with Randy and Camilla, had been running on a treadmill for a lengthy session. Camilla wanted to run outside, but an approaching storm had stopped that plan. Randy had gone upstairs to take a shower while Matt and Camilla rested their feet downstairs in the living room. They sat next to each other, flipping through television channels. 

"Where's your mom and dad, Matt?" Camilla asked, noticing the house quieter than usual.

"Dad finally got a break in training other guys for the WWE, so he took Mom up to Aspen, Colorado for a couple of weeks. They've been wanting to take a long vacation for months now and they're relaxing the days away up there."

"Aspen? That would be such a beautiful place to spend a couple of weeks. I've always wanted to stay in a cabin in a place like that."

"A cabin?" Matthew questioned. "How can you stand snow? It's way too … well … cold. I'd take a week-long vacation at a beach or a water park over Aspen any day."

"I don't like the snow any more than you do. I just like the possibilities for cuddling next to the fire", Camilla said in a flirtatious manner.

Matthew grinned, putting his arm around his girlfriend and pulling her close to him. To his surprise, however, Camilla pushed him away.

"What … what was that for?" Matthew asked with a shocked look on his face.

"You smell and you're all sweaty. Go take a shower."

Matthew laughed and looked up to the staircase. "**Randy, are you done yet?**" No response. Matthew muted the television and listened closely. It seemed as if music was coming from the second floor. "What the hell?" Matt got up and slowly walked up the stairs, hearing the music get louder as her got closer to the restroom. "Is … is he_singing_?" Matthew thought as he heard something over the music. Matt didn't recognize the song.

He slowly turned the knob, which, to his surprise, wasn't locked and slowly pushed the door open, careful not to make any noise. Matt saw a small stereo/CD player and heard some of the most dreadful singing he had ever heard.

"… _and I'll take what's mine while you're burning inside my light._"

"Goddamn, you suck at singing."

Matthew realized he had said this out loud when Randy peeked around the shower curtain and yelled "**What the hell are you doing in here?**"

"Uh …" Matthew stood there like a deer in the headlights. He stood there, trying to think of a witty reply, but couldn't come up with anything. So he flushed the toilet and ran out of the room. He could hear Randy yelping from the scalding water as he dashed down the stairs and hid in the kitchen pantry. Camilla saw Matthew whiz by in a blur and didn't get to ask him why he was running. Randy soon followed, wearing the same workout shorts as he had on before.

"**Where is he?**" Randy bellowed out at a confused Camilla.

"He … he went into the kitchen."

Randy stomped into the kitchen and started looking for his brother. Soon enough, Camilla heard a door open and scuffle ensue. Matthew stumbled out of the kitchen with his hand over his stomach; Camilla surmised that Randy had punched him. Tired of being confused, Camilla got up to try to find out what transpired upstairs.

"What the hell did you do, Matt?" Camilla queried.

Randy answered the question. "He flushed the toilet while I was still in the shower."

Camilla shuddered. "That little prick! He's done that to me before, and it hurts!" She saw Matthew still clutching his stomach, but standing straight up. Camilla changed all that when she turned around and slammed a closed fist into his stomach, catching him off guard and sending him down to the floor. Randy and Camilla had a good laugh while watching Matthew struggle to regain his breath.

"He … he … was singing .. horribly …" Matthew managed to squeak out.

Camilla turned to look at Randy. "You sing in the shower?"

Randy looked down at the carpet. "………yes."

Camilla shrugged. "Eh … I do too."

"But at least you don't suck at it", said Matthew, getting back up. This time, Randy punched him in the stomach, sending him back to the floor.

And then, the doorbell rang.

"The food's here!", Camilla said, stepping over Matt's body. While she and Randy were taking the food to the dining room, Matt pulled himself up to the couch and lay down, trying to regain his breath. Randy opened all the cartons, but couldn't find his usual. "Matt, where's my beef and broccoli?"

"You didn't order that!", Matthew called from on the couch.

"Goddammit, I always order that! Why did I let you order this time?!" Randy sighed and reluctantly dug into his brother's sesame chicken. Camilla ate her sushi.

"How can you eat that stuff? It's … it's raw." Randy shivered at the thought of putting that in his mouth.

"Once you get over the fact that it isn't cooked, it's delicious", Camilla said as she ate another piece.

Matthew finally made it over to the table and looked for his sesame chicken. "Dammit, Randy! That's my chicken!"

"That's what you get for not ordering my food."

Matthew sighed. "Just toss me the fried rice then."

"We already ate that too."

Matthew looked dumbfounded. "Then what the hell is left?"

"The fortune cookies."

Matthew gave Randy and Camilla a stare. "How the hell did you eat all this that quickly?"

"We told you we were hungry!"

Matt grumbled and opened one up, chowing down the cookie and ignoring the fortune inside of it. His stomach growled and Camilla pushed him the rest of her sushi. "Here, you can have the rest of this."

Matthew saw the sushi in front of him and was disgusted, but his hunger got the best of him. He gobbled the rest of it down as Camilla looked at him strangely. "I can't believe you can hold that down after those punches."

"I'm just as hungry, if not more hungry, than you guys."

Randy and Camilla looked at each other and shook their heads in amazement. They reached over and unwrapped their own fortune cookies.

Randy read his first. "'_The most important step in any journey is the first one._' These things are so goddamn generic", he said, throwing the little piece of paper in the trash. Turning to Camilla, he asked "What does yours say?"

"_Love is sitting right in front of you._"

Matthew picked his head up, looked across the table at Camilla, and smiled. "I guess this is the time where I'm supposed to kiss you now." He got up and sat down next down to Camilla, leaning in for kiss. After a minute or two, Randy coughed rather loudly. Matt and Camilla broke away and Randy tossed Matt's fortune to him. "Read yours."

Matt reluctantly unfolded the little piece of paper and read the next aloud. "_'You will face a great trial in the coming weeks.'_ Huh. I guess that's true."

"It's also true that you'll kick Eric's ass next Monday and lay him out with the MKO at No Way Out", Randy added.

"Damn straight", Matthew replied, giving Randy a high five.

Camilla then decided to ask Matt a question that had been bugging her since the confrontation with Eric in the driveway. "Matt, when you said that 'you could always make new friends' … " She hesitated before continuing. "… did you mean that I could be just as disposable as Eric?"

This brought the whole conversation to a screeching halt. The previously jovial mood had turned sour. Randy and Matthew no longer had smirks on their faces. As a matter of fact, each of them felt like they had just been punched in the stomach.

"Camilla … I … no …" Matthew struggled to put together a coherent sentence. "I'd never do something like that to you."

"But you already did. That night at the Royal Rumble…"

Matt shook his head in disagreement. "That was different. You know that. We promised never to hurt each other like that again and I have no intentions of breaking that promise."

Just as Matthew finished his sentence, thunder rumbled all around the house; the storm had finally rolled in, making the sky pitch black. Rain fell down in heavy sheets, blanketing the house in water.

* * *

Matthew couldn't sleep. The rain was pounding on the roof of the house and the frequent thunder didn't help any. Camilla, on the other hand, was sleeping soundly in her bed; her hands hugging a small teddy bear Matthew had given her for Valentine's Day. Staring at the ceiling, Matt's mind was occupied by two things: whether or not he would be faced with one day giving up Camilla like he did Eric and whether or not he should wait to ask for Camilla's hand in marriage. Frustrated, Matt slipped out of bed and headed down the hallway to Randy's room. The door was ajar, and Matthew could see the glow of the television against Randy's face. 

"Can't sleep?", Matthew asked his brother.

"Nope. Too much on my mind."

"Me either. The thought crossed my mind to hold off on asking Camilla to marry me, and I haven't been able to sleep since." Randy sat up quickly, delighted to hear this news. "After what she asked me at the dinner table, I don't think she trusts me enough to say yes."

"You should wait then. A good year or two."

"When I turn nineteen?"

"Make it twenty. Right before WrestleMania 21. By then, you'll know if you guys are truly made for each other … and this reminds me: isn't your birthday coming up soon?"

Matthew was a bit thrown off by the change in subject, but answered anyway. "Yeah. You don't remember by now? It's March 12th."

"What do you want for your birthday?"

Matthew smiled upon hearing this question because he already knew the answer. "I want those tattoos that you have on your upper back and forearms. You know, so I can look more like you."

Randy chuckled. "So my little brother wants what I have." He smiled at Matt before continuing. "You really look up to me, don't you?"

"Yep. As much as a little brother is supposed to … scratch that. _More_ than a little brother is supposed to."

Randy laughed. "And to think I'd have never found you if it wasn't for a radio contest. I really couldn't fathom living another year without my little bro." As he said this, one tear rolled down Randy's cheek.

"Wait a minute. Are you crying? Is my big, tough brother shedding a tear like a little baby?" Matthew teased Randy.

"You better shut up before I choke you out again."

"You would have to catch me first." Matthew turned around to run, but saw someone standing in the doorway, blocking his exit route. Camilla stepped forward and yawned. Before Matthew could realize what was going on, Randy had an arm around Matthew's neck and started to squeeze. Camilla started to laugh full on as Matthew started to succumb to Randy's hold. He waved his arms around desperately, but it was no use; Matt was out like a light in a matter of seconds.

After Matthew fell to the floor, Randy stood up and said, "I guess I was the one who had to put the baby to sleep."

* * *

Another week, another Monday night RAW. This time, RAW was in San Diego, California. Matt had just returned from where the card for the night had been posted and handed a copy to everyone. Every member of Evolution, save for Camilla, would be in action. Batista and Ric Flair would be taking on the Dudley Boyz, Randy was scheduled against Booker T, Triple H was going up against Scott Steiner in a non-title match up, and Matthew had his match with Eric as the main event. Hunter wasn't too thrilled about him not being in the big match of the night, but Matthew's match tonight was more important. Batista and Flair would be first up, and they started to prepare. However, Matt's ears perked up when he heard Eric's music permeate the arena. Looking at the monitor, Matthew saw his former best friend in the middle of the ring with a microphone in hand. 

"Last week, I was betrayed. I was part of a 6-man tag match and my best friend, Matthew Orton …" The crowd began to boo at the mention of Matt's name, much to Eric's delight. "…, was on the opposing team. I had the utmost respect for my friend. Look at these clips." Eric pointed to the TitanTron as a video package started to play. The clip of Matthew raising Eric's hand after Eric had defeated him on RAW was shown as well as the clip of the pair working together in the Royal Rumble.

"But … but look …_look_ at what Matthew did to me. _Look at what my_ 'best friend' _did to me!_"

Matthew watched on the monitor as he saw himself whack Eric hard in the back with the sledgehammer.

"Orton! **You get your ass out here and face me!**"

Evolution's theme began to play and Matthew slowly walked down to the ring, receiving a chorus of boos from the audience. He never took his eyes off Eric, walking around the ring to get his own microphone before climbing into the ring.

"Eric, we've already been through this, but I'll explain it again. You were the one that caused this to happen. _You _were the one that rejected Triple H's guidance. You see, people, Eric was supposed to be in Evolution with me. However, in a fit of stupidity, he decided to leave us. Triple H offered to take you to the top of the WWE. Now you'll stay at the bottom, because at No Way Out, I will beat your ass senseless until you can't get up."

Eric's face hadn't changed. "Speaking of No Way Out, I came out here to add another element to our match on Sunday."

"Name it."

"I want Triple H's precious sledgehammer suspended above the ring. The only way to reach it: climbing up … a ladder."

The crowd cheered wildly and Matthew's heart rate accelerated. Backstage, Camilla shook her head in disapproval.

"He can't … he can't accept that, can he? That would be suicide! A Last Man Standing match is bad enough and to make it a Ladder match as well? Eric's freakin' crazy!"

Triple H shook his head. "This is Matthew's business now. He chooses his own battles."

Eric got impatient. "Well? Are you too afraid of me bashing you in the back **like you did to me?**" He was now toe-to-toe with Matt, face-to-face with his former best friend.

"You can take anything you want and hang it from the ceiling, Eric. It won't matter. You still won't be able to answer a ten-count … or after tonight's match, a five-count. **I'll** walk out of No Way Out the youngest Intercontinental Champion and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."

Matt dropped his microphone and slid out of the ring. He made his way quickly up the ramp, not giving Eric the chance to attack him from behind. Once back in the locker room, Camilla let him have it.

"What the heck are you thinking? You are going to kill each other out there Sunday!"

"I won't let him get to the hammer", Matthew replied. "If anything, I'll get it and knock him out first."

Matthew walked over to Hunter and received a pat on the back. "You've got guts, Matt."

"Anything to get this feud over with. Once I beat him at No Way Out, he'll back off and I'll be able to get on with my life."

"How do you know that?"

"In high school, we'd always have little rivalries over things. Sports, school elections … hell, we'd place bets over who would get a higher grade on a test. When I would win, he would always back off and congratulate me."

"And whenever he won?", Camilla asked.

"He never won."

* * *

Batista and Flair handily won their match against the Dudleys; all it took was a Batista Bomb to gain the three-count. Randy would have lost against Booker T if it wasn't for Matthew interfering. Matt ran down to the ring and distracted the ref, which allowed Randy to recover and hit the RKO. Triple H had a little trouble with Steiner, but pulled off a Pedigree to stop Steiner's momentum and pick up the win. 

It was now time for Matt's match. The loser would have the amount of time they have to answer the ref's count slashed in half, from a ten-count to a five-count. Before heading off to the stage, Matthew and Randy had their usual little 'pump-up' session and Matt gave Camilla a kiss.

"I don't want anyone interfering."

Everyone nodded and Matt walked off to the entrance. He could hear Eric's music playing and hurried even faster, almost running to the curtain. The crowd was cheering for Eric like mad, and Matt was somewhat jealous. Once at the curtain, "Line in the Sand" began to play, and Matt walked out onto the stage. Arriving to a wall of boos, Matt smirked and did the trademark Orton pose, the gold pyro raining down behind him. Not wanting to delay this any longer, Matt dashed to the ring and slid inside, immediately staring down Eric.

The bell rang, and Eric shoved Matt back with both hands. Matt rebounded off the turnbuckle and rammed Eric down with a hard shoulder block. While Eric got up, Matt smirked and taunted his opponent, telling him to 'bring it'. Eric ran at Matt, but was caught in a rotating powerslam.

"You can't beat me, Eric!"

This was enough for Eric to revitalize, and he speared Matthew down to the ground. He began punching Matthew repeatedly in the side of the head and went as long as he could before the ref pulled him off. Eric then turned Matthew on his stomach. Matt realized what was coming and quickly scurried to the bottom rope to avoid a Camel Clutch.

The crowd began to boo at Matthew, wanting the action to go on. Eric now returned Matt's earlier smirk with one of his own. The side of his head ached horribly, but Matt stumbled to his feet. Eric ran up and threw Matt over the top rope, Matt hitting the back of his head hard against the floor below. The ref started the ten-count, but Eric dove through the ropes and onto Matt before the ref counted to three. Eric dragged a limp opponent back into the ring, and slapped on the Camel Clutch. Matt was already dizzy, and having two hands pull up and back on his neck wasn't helping any. To try to counter, Matt pulled his head down as much as he could to try to shift Eric's weight so he could flip over. However, Eric had a firm grip on Matt's neck, and he wasn't going anywhere.

"_No … I'm not tapping out again … not to Eric._"

Matt managed to free an arm from around Eric's knee and used it to smash Eric's ankle with a hard punch. He kept at it until Eric let go, making him hobble over to the turnbuckle. With his head spinning, Matt pulled himself up using the ropes, and ran straight at Eric, ramming his shoulder straight into his opponent's gut. Full of anger, Matt took Eric by the head and put him in the powerbomb position. Backstage, Batista smiled as he saw his stablemate lift Eric up for the triple powerbomb. Exhausted but confident, Matt signaled for the MKO.

"_This is over. __**I**__ will win at No Way Out._"

Matthew set himself at the ready, watching Eric slowly get to his feet. He could hear some of the fans in the crowd try to warn Eric of what was coming and laughed. Once Eric got to his feet, Matt lifted his leg for a kick to Eric's stomach.

Eric caught it.

Spinning Matt around, Eric was the one who kicked Matt in the stomach. Triple H watched with growing anger as Eric hooked Matthew's arms for the Pedigree. Matt had his face rammed into the mat, and Eric went for the pin.

"1, 2, …"

Matt used all of what was left of him to kick out. Back in the locker room, Hunter was furious at Eric stealing the Pedigree and almost ran out to ringside to punish him. Randy and Dave held Hunter back, however.

"**Let me go! That little prick stole my finisher!**"

"This is Matt's match, Hunter. Let him take care of it!"

Hunter remembered Matthew's request and sat back down on the bench.

"**Come on, Orton! Get up! Kick that little prick's ass!**"

Hunter's screams fell on deaf ears. Eric had locked the Camel Clutch in once again, and Matthew was quickly fading away. The ref lifted Matt's arm and it fell. Camilla was screaming her head off at the monitor as Matt's arm fell another time. Randy couldn't look as the ref lifted up Matt's arm for a third time.

It fell.

"Here is your winner by submission, Eric Barringer!"

Eric's music played and his arm was raised in the air. Triple H took off towards the ring, with Randy and Dave close behind. Barringer slipped out of the ring and looked for something under the apron; the crowd knew exactly what he was looking for. The sledgehammer became visible and Eric climbed into the ring with it, taking aim at Matthew's back. He prepared to swing and lifted it up in the air, but had it snatched away from an incoming Triple H. Eric turned around to see Hunter, Randy, and Dave facing him in the ring. HHH grinned as Dave and Randy surrounded Eric and readied the sledgehammer for a shot.

"**Ohhh! Ohhh, Shawn!**"

Everyone spun around to the entrance to see the Heartbreak Kid run down to the ring with a steel chair in hand. Triple H changed aim, but was smacked in the head with the chair. Batista was next to receive a blast from the chair. Randy managed to miss the chair shot and went for the RKO, but was blocked by Michaels, who knocked him out with Sweet Chin Music. Michaels raised Eric's arm in the air and the crowd cheered as the pair stood over Evolution, victorious. Unexpectedly, Shawn pulled out two shirts from his pocket and gave one to Eric. The crowd went wild as they saw the green of the D-Generation X logo. Michaels and Barringer climbed the turnbuckles and did the signature crotch chops. The DX theme song played as the two walked up the ramp with Eric making a belt motion around his waist. The Intercontinental Championship match at No Way Out would boil down to Evolution vs. D-Generation X.

* * *

_Swerve? Evolution was knocked out as DX was brought back to life. Going into No Way Out, Eric has the advantage, with Matthew only having to the count of five to get back up. How will this impact Evolution going into Sunday night? And who will become the new Intercontinental Champion: Eric or Matthew?_

_This one took a lot out of me. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review! _

_SuspiciousInitials_


	24. War of Attrition

_D-Generation X is back? And Hunter's not in it? Oh boy. First, we'll deal with the aftermath of RAW. Hunter's pissed off and Matthew's shaken up both mentally and physically. We'll head back home to St. Louis to see how Randy and Camilla encourage Matthew for his upcoming title match. _

_Then, its time for No Way Out! Will Matt overcome his handicap and win the Last Man Standing match and the Intercontinental Championship? Or will Eric use the sledgehammer to take the belt home to DX?_

_I'm gonna like this one. Hope you do too._

* * *

Matthew sat down in the locker room, his eyes transfixed on one spot on the wall. He was still reeling from what happened earlier: passing out from Eric's Camel Clutch and watching as the rest of Evolution was mowed down by Shawn Michaels. But the revival of DX? With **Eric **of all people? That was almost too much to think about. 

Hunter, on the other hand, was throwing chairs and other objects across the room in anger.

"How _dare_ he bring back DX! How dare he stain the legacy of the most recognized group in this business by letting some _nobody_ join?"

Matthew calmly looked up at Hunter and said, "Now you know how I feel. To have a former best friend pull out the rug out from under you like that … it isn't pleasant."

Camilla sat down next to Matthew, putting an ice pack on the back of his head. Randy and Dave chased Hunter around, trying to fix the damage Hunter was causing. Matthew shook his head and buried it in his hands.

"That's twice Eric has outwrestled me. Maybe I can't win."

Randy heard this and walked over to his brother. "Don't _ever_ say something like that again. You've gone up against him one-on-one twice now and gained valuable experience. Now you can use that when you repay him for beating you. Change your style to counter his own."

"It's hard to counter submissions. Now I know where he's getting his speed from. How the hell am I going to pull this off? Not only do I have to somehow keep Eric under control, but I also have to answer a five-count!"

"You're forgetting about what kind of match it's going to be: Last Man Standing. _No disqualification._ You can use anything you want. Steel chairs, baseball bats, the sledgehammer, whatever you can your hands on."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it", Matthew replied weakly.

"You've still got the upper hand. He may have HBK in his corner, but you've got Hunter, Flair, Dave, and me behind you."

Camilla coughed.

"And Camilla. We're not going to let you lose, Matt."

Matthew nodded and the group packed up their things. RAW had long been over and Evolution wanted to get the hell out of the place. Heading towards the parking garage, Matt noticed two figures run away from where Evolution's limo was parked. He thought he could smell paint as they rounded the corner.

They all stopped in their tracks as the limousine came into view. Several green 'DX' logos were spray painted up and down the side of the vehicle. Naturally, Hunter went ballistic. Randy and Dave stood their speechless. Flair started dialing to get another limo. Matthew and Camilla laughed in disbelief.

"This is going to be one hell of a week", Matt said out loud.

* * *

Matthew winced as Randy had a Camel Clutch locked in. Matt tried desperately to shift his weight in order to escape, but all his efforts amounted to nothing. Randy let go and Matt sat up. 

"It's no use. You weren't even pulling back hard enough. If I can't escape that, there's no way I'll get Eric off me."

"I already told you. Don't talk like that! What the hell happened to your confidence?"

Matt looked down at the canvas and hesitated before answering. "It disappeared when Michaels came out to help Eric."

"Why should that matter?", a frustrated older brother asked.

"You don't understand. Remember that old DX shirt I used to wear during pay-per-views? I idolized him and Hunter growing up! And now Michaels is my enemy. That's the last thing I expected to happen! How the hell can I continue going against someone I aspired to be?!"

Randy stopped and hung his arms over the top rope in frustration. He looked down at the grass and avoided eye contact with his brother.

"I mean … it's easier for you because you had Dad to idolize. I didn't. Dad will never go betray or go agai…"

"Dad has nothing to do with this!", Randy interrupted, raising his voice. "You're just finding an excuse for **why you lost last night!**"

Big mistake.

Matthew charged at Randy and backed him up into a turnbuckle with one big push. Randy shoved Matthew back halfway across the ring. Quickly, Randy pinned Matthew's arms down to restrain him.

"Let me go, dammit!" In response, Randy slugged Matthew hard across the face. Matt screamed out in pain and stopped struggling; instead, he nursed the throbbing around his eye. Randy got up and backed off, fully knowing the extent of his actions. He climbed out of the ring and headed up to his room. Meanwhile, Camilla rushed to the ring to see what had happened. Matthew was just rolling under the bottom rope when she arrived.

"What happened to you?", Camilla asked as she saw the black eye on Matt's face.

"Randy … he …" Matthew fell down to the ground and rested on his knees.

"He did this to you? Why?"

Matt looked up to the window leading to Randy's room and saw his brother looking down at him. Randy shook his head and turned away.

"… to prove a point."

Matthew got up slowly walked inside as Camilla stood there with a confused look on her face. She watched him walk inside, wondering what the heck he meant. Matthew made his way upstairs and opened the door to Randy's room.

"You should put some ice on that…"

"Cut the bullcrap, Randy." The two turned to face each other. "What the hell do you want from me?"

"I'm beginning to think that you're losing your passion for this sport, Matt. It's as if you expected your career to be full of happiness and relatively free of bumps along the road. It doesn't work that way at all. In fact, it's the exact opposite. There will be obstacles at every corner. There will be walls to climb over every week. There will be gates to …"

"Okay, okay … shut up, I get it."

"Then are you ready for this Sunday?"

"I don't know. I just don't know if I get past this bump in the road."

Randy shook his head and went back to staring out the window. Matthew turned around and walked down the hall to his room, where Camilla was already sitting there with an icepack."

"You might as well have an ice machine in your room, Matt."

Matthew glared at her. "You're not helping any."

"What did Randy say?"

"We're cool now", Matthew lied.

"Good. As long as you two are okay, I'm fine as well."

Camilla started to walk away, but Matthew started to say something.

"Camilla?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you come down to the ring with me on Sunday?"

Camilla was a little surprised. "You want me down there with you for this? Matt, I could get hurt!"

Matt sighed and shook his head. "Yeah … you're right."

"What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I need to be alone for a moment."

Matthew got up and walked past Camilla, heading downstairs to the workout room. Camilla was standing there, confused just as much as she was earlier.

"Jeez … this must have really shaken him up."

Down at the workout room, Matthew sat on a weight bench and stared at the floor. He had never felt this depressed. Matt kept trying to figure out why he felt like this while Randy never batted an eye to the situation.

"_Randy grew up in this environment. He watched Dad go through situations like this and got used to it. Me, on the other hand … I just watched it on television. I never really got used to what it was like to actually work in the WWE. Randy looked up to Dad, learning from his mistakes. He's already toughened up in that respect. Me … I'm more emotional. I don't react to stuff like this like Randy does._"

Matthew then thought back to what Randy said that night in Las Vegas. It mirrored what he was thinking right now.

"_He just wants what's best for me. Randy doesn't want something to happen to me that causes me to leave the business … he's just being my big brother._"

Springing up, Matt dashed back upstairs and re-entered Randy's room. He threw open the door so fast, Randy got up, ready to defend himself.

"I'm not going to let this get in my way", Matthew said forcefully.

Randy put his fists down and relaxed, a huge grin slowly spreading across his face.

"Shawn Michaels is just another person to deal with on the way to the top."

"That's what I've been wanting to hear from you the whole time, Matt."

"It doesn't matter that I lost my match on Monday. It doesn't matter that the sledgehammer is going to be hanging above the ring. It doesn't matter that Shawn Michaels is in Eric's corner. I will walk out of No Way Out the Intercontinental Champion and there's **not a damn thing D-Generation X can do about it!**"

Randy beamed with pride and pounded fists with Matthew. "I'm gonna walk down to the ring with you this weekend. I wouldn't miss seeing my little brother win his first title."

"_You_ haven't won a belt yet", Matthew snickered.

"I know. But I'll win it from you on RAW the next night."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Damn right."

"I accept."

* * *

The newly bought Evolution limo was traveling towards the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec. It was snowing hard, and Matt wasn't exactly thrilled with it. He was shivering compared to everyone else in the limo. 

"A little cold there, Matt?", Hunter said.

"Just … just a … lit … tle", Matt replied through chattering teeth. "It … never … gets this … cold … in Texas."

Batista chuckled as Matt struggled to keep warm. Matt looked out the window to see the Bell Center getting closer and closer. He looked out at all the cars in the parking lot and marveled at how many fans were actually at this event. Matt felt like a little kid going to a huge amusement park once the limo entered the parking garage. The group unloaded their belongings and quickly went to their locker room. After everyone was settled, Hunter laid out the plan for the night.

"Matt, your match is right before mine. Randy's gonna go to the ring with you. I don't doubt that Shawn will accompany Eric to the ring, so we're not going to take any chances. If things get out of hand, Dave's gonna run out to help you."

Matthew nodded. "I'm not gonna need him though. I'll take both of them out if need be."

Hunter laughed. "You need to get that sledgehammer first. Eric moves faster than you, so you need to work on his legs. And don't forget about Shawn. He can knock you out at any time."

"I'll keep an eye on him so Matthew can concentrate more on the match", Randy said.

"Good. As for my match, if I need you, Flair will motion for you guys to come out. We're going to kick ass tonight. We'll have two belts, and by WrestleMania, we'll have all five."

"Five?", chimed Camilla. "Hunter … I just started training. You can't … you can't think I'm ready this early?"

"If you can make Randy and Matthew tap out, I'd say you're more than ready."

Camilla blushed and Matthew put his arm around her. "You'll do great. It won't take long for you to get the strap."

Hunter suggested that that Matt get ready. After a quick change, Matthew debuted his new gold trunks, modeled after the gold in Evolution's logo.

"Lookin' good, Matt!", Camilla commented. She slapped Matt on the rear end to her boyfriend's surprise.

"Whoa! What's the bright idea?"

"I don't know … I just think that gold looks good on you."

"After tonight, I'll add another piece of gold to my outfit."

"The more the better."

Matt and Camilla then engaged in a deep kiss with everyone else watching awkwardly. Randy smiled and looked at the monitor.

"It's starting."

Matt broke off the kiss and looked at the monitor. He could hear the theme song of this year's No Way Out, "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence, being blared on the arena's speakers. Matt also watched as the pyro went off, displaying the No Way Out logo. For once in his life, Matt felt like he was important. It was time for him to shine. The whole world would see how much of an athlete he was.

Matt and Randy went off to some part of the arena to warm up together while Camilla stayed behind with Hunter, Dave, and Flair to watch the opening matches. Chris Jericho made Jeff Hardy submit to the Walls of Jericho. Jericho wouldn't let go, however. Suddenly, the loudest boos Camilla had ever heard came from the crowd, and Shawn Michaels dashed to the ring. After a Sweet Chin Music to the back of the head, Jericho rolled out to the floor and retreated up the stage. To the surprise of the four in the locker room, HBK pulled out a DX shirt and handed it to Jeff.

"If you know what's good for you, Hardy, you won't take that shirt", Hunter said out loud.

To a mixed reaction of boos and cheers, Hardy put on the shirt, and DX now had three members. Eric ran out to the ring and, along with Shawn, raised Hardy's arm in the air.

"Go get the brothers", Hunter told Camilla, and she was darting out in the hallway looking for them. After following the sounds of incoherent yelling, she found them in a remote corner. Matthew saw the concerned look on her face.

"What? What happened?"

"We've got a problem. Jeff Hardy is now a member of DX."

"What?!", the brothers yelled out in unison.

"Shawn saved Jeff from Jericho and handed him a shirt. Hardy put it on."

Randy looked at the ground and shrugged. Matthew didn't seem that fazed. "One more to take out. Right, bro?"

Randy stood straight up, a little surprised at Matthew's tone of voice. "Yeah … no problem at all." He was impressed by Matt's attitude and smiled.

Returning to the locker room, Evolution watched the rest of the matches: William Regal and Lance Storm beat Kane and Rob Van Dam, Matt Hardy beat Billy Kidman, the Undertaker beat the Big Show, and Brock Lesnar and Chris Benoit beat Team Angle. Before Matthew knew it, it was time for his match. After some deep breaths, Matthew stood up to walk to the stage. Camilla gave Matt a last kiss before he left.

"Be careful out there."

"I'll try."

Matt walked out of the room with Randy close behind. Evolution's music hit and the brothers posed together against of a backdrop of raining gold.

"The following contest is a Last Man Standing match, and it is for the Intercontinental Championship! Introducing first, accompanied to the ring by his brother, Randy, from San Antonio, Texas, weighing in at 239 pounds, Matthew Orton!"

As he climbed into the ring, Matt looked up and saw the sledgehammer hanging above his head.

"_That's mine._"

"**Are you ready?**"

The arena was covered in green light as DX's theme song started to play. Randy dropped out of the ring to the floor and Matt braced himself to see his opponent.

"And introducing his opponent, accompanied to the ring by Shawn Michaels, from San Antonio, Texas, weighing in at 223 pounds, Eric Barringer!"

The crowd couldn't decide whether to cheer or boo as Eric made his way to the ring. Shawn stayed outside on the floor, keeping an eye on Randy.

The bell rung, and Eric and Matthew stared each other down in the middle of the ring. The crowd was buzzing with anticipation, and Eric finally threw the first punch. The pair exchanged right hands, Eric getting the better of Matthew and knocking him against the ropes. After the referee pulled Eric off, Matthew stood back up, but was tripped up by HBK from outside the ring. Randy ran around and gave chase to Michaels, but was met with a Sweet Chin Music from out of nowhere.

Eric pulled Matthew up and grappled him from behind, sending him up and over with a German suplex. Eric didn't let go, however, and pulled Matt over for two more suplexes. Ignoring the pain in his shoulders and neck, Matthew got right back up and charged at Eric, clotheslining him over the top rope. Shawn helped Eric up to escape the ten-count. Matt looked over to see Randy knocked out on the floor and climbed out to attend to his brother.

"Are you okay?"

"Don't … worry about me. Get … get back in there … now!"

Matt looked up to see Eric running at him with a chair in hand. Matt put his hands up to block the chair shot, getting a good whack from it on his forearms. Eric dropped the chair and threw Matt back into the ring. Matt got up and saw Eric charging at him and countered with a back body drop. After giving Eric a few kicks in the stomach, Matthew went up to the top rope and launched himself into the Swanton Bomb, mocking DX's newest recruit. The referee began to count.

"1 … 2 … 3 …"

Michaels climbed into the ring and started beating on Matthew, backing him up against one of the turnbuckles. Stepping onto the second rope, HBK started to bash right hands into the temple of the younger Orton. Matthew could see Randy coming into the ring in between punches. Randy pulled Michaels off and threw him out, following him down to the floor to put a beating on the elder DX member. Matthew looked around to see where Eric was and saw a ladder being slid into the ring.

"Randy, give me the chair!"

It wasn't exactly a ladder, but Matthew needed something to defend himself. Randy slid a chair into the ring and Matthew scooped it up, holding it at the ready. Eric threw the ladder at Matthew, but Matt dodged it, ducking under the incoming steel. Matt charged with the chair, but was thrown over the top rope after he missed. Quickly getting up to avoid the count, Matt saw a foot coming at his face. He caught Shawn's Sweet Chin Music and kicked HBK in the crotch. Matt then lifted his former idol up and slammed him down with the MKO.

"_That'll keep him down for a while._"

Looking back up to the ring, Matt's eyes widened as he saw Eric strike Randy with the ladder. The brothers exchanged places, Randy rolling out of the ring and Matthew sliding back in. Matt managed to spear Eric down, shoving Eric back into the turnbuckle and knocking the air out of him. He tossed Eric out of the ring and quickly set up the ladder.

"… 3 … 4 …"

The referee was counting, but Matt didn't pay any attention. The most important thing on his mind was getting to that sledgehammer. He climbed up to the top and reached up to grab the handle, but freaked out as he felt the ladder tilt. Matt looked down to see Eric pushing on the bottom of the ladder. Matt's breathing picked up; he knew what was coming next. In an act of desperation, he hung onto the sledgehammer as the ladder fell out from under him.

Matthew was dangling high above the ring and soon realized that he was no better off than falling down with the ladder. Eric looked up and started laughing at seeing Matt's legs frantically wave around. HBK had gotten back up and started to laugh as well. Randy, with blood trickling down his forehead, looked up in horror to see his brother in such a predicament. Randy picked up the chair Matthew had earlier and successfully hit the back of Michaels' head. Eric responded with a quick kick to the face, sending Randy back out of the ring.

Matt was now terrified of what could happen. The last time he was this high up in the air, he fell and separated his shoulder. Matt finally decided to try to swing the cord over so he could fall near the corner and use the ring ropes to break his fall.

It didn't work.

The cord snapped and the sledgehammer fell along with Matthew, down to the canvas. Matthew leveled himself with the ground and fell hard on his back. Eric moved out of the way and told the referee to count.

"1 … 2 …"

Matt could faintly hear the ref, and used all his remaining willpower to try to get up.

"3 …"

"_No … no … not now._" Fortunately for him, Randy had climbed back into the ring and laid Eric out with an RKO.

"4 …"

Randy picked Matthew up and put him on his feet, escaping the five-count. The referee now started to count for Eric. Matt saw the sledgehammer on the ground and picked it up. Taking a look at it for a brief second, Matt was overcome with fury. He told Randy to pick Eric up and hold him steady. After taking aim, Matt slammed the hammer in Eric's stomach. Eric screamed out in agony and fell to the floor.

"1 … 2 … 3 … 4 …"

"_That's it. I've got this._"

Matthew heard the crowd start to cheer, and looked up to see Jeff Hardy running down to the ring. He ducked a sledgehammer shot and dropkicked Randy down to the ground.

"5 … 6 … 7 …"

Hardy tried to lift Eric up to his feet, and the two double clotheslined Matthew down. Hardy climbed to the turnbuckle and pulled off his own Swanton Bomb on the younger Orton. Eric picked up the sledgehammer and took a swing at Matt, but Matt caught the hammer and struggled to regain control of it. Both of them had both hands tightly gripped on the handle of the hammer. Matthew saw Eric's eyes dart behind him and knew something was amiss; he let go of the sledgehammer and ducked out of the way. Michaels had attempted another Sweet Chin Music and instead hit Eric square in the chest. Matthew shoved Michaels into Jeff Hardy, sending them both out of the ring. Matt then moved a steel chair to the middle of the ring, kicking aside the ladder. He motioned to the crowd for the MKO, picked Eric up, and put Eric's head under his arm. Grabbing Eric's leg, he raised him up, inverted Eric's body, and slammed him down square on the steel chair.

"Count", Matthew yelled to the referee.

"1 … 2 … 3 … 4 … 5 … 6 …"

Matthew looked down at his former best friend, now knocked out and bloody in the middle of the ring. They had been good buddies since high school, but the time for friendship was over. Matt looked up to see his bloodied brother stumble back to his feet and walked over to help him stand.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm … fine. You?"

"My back hurts like hell, but I'll survive."

"… 8 … 9 … 10!" The referee called for the bell and walked over to get the belt from the announcer.

"Here is your winner and the **NEW** Intercontinental Champion, Matthew Orton!"

Randy raised his brother's arm in the air in pride. Matthew had won his first championship, and he couldn't be happier. Batista, Flair, Triple H, and Camilla ran down to the ring to celebrate. Batista and Triple H raised Matthew on their shoulders while Camilla attended to Randy, who couldn't quite stand straight. Matt raised his belt in the air and yelled out triumphantly. Despite the heavy costs, Matthew Orton had won his first championship.

* * *

_So. The little Orton has his first piece of gold. How will Evolution celebrate the youngest Intercontinental Champion's victory? And what will be the backlash the next night on RAW?_

_Please read and review! Hope you enjoyed it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	25. Hesitation

_Sorry this one took so long for me to complete. With finals coming up, I haven't had much time to think. First, we'll complete No Way Out. Then, Evolution will celebrate Matt's title victory, with Camilla and Matthew having a little conversation. Finally, we'll go to Monday night's RAW, where DX has a message to send to Evolution. _

_Hope you like it._

* * *

Matthew was sitting in the trainer's office, watching Randy getting his forehead bandaged up. Matt was still a bit dizzy, and his upper back was still aching from the long fall he had in the match. Camilla was sitting in his lap, trying on the Intercontinental belt. She was still ecstatic at Matthew winning, but even more appreciative that one of the most brutal matches she had ever witnessed was finally over. Batista had come in to check on Randy and congratulate Matthew before going back to Hunter to prepare for the World title match. The video package highlighting what had transpired previously between Triple H and Steiner played, including the birth of Evolution. Before it was over, Randy sat down next to his brother, a big white bandage around his forehead. 

"You still up for that match tomorrow night?"

Matt glared at Randy's forehead before answering. "Yeah … but you still want to fight me with that cut on your forehead?"

"This little thing? Hell … if you can stand that fall from hanging onto the sledgehammer, I can live with this cut. I'll take that belt from you no problem."

Matt laughed and shook his head as the trio got up to return to the locker room to watch Hunter's match. Randy and Camilla sat down to watch while Matt walked off to the showers to refresh himself. After a few minutes, Matt could hear Randy yelling at the TV and hurried to dry himself off. Matt started to put his shirt on and tried to walk back to the television, but ran smack into the wall. Eventually, he made his way back and sat down next to Camilla, holding his forehead.

"What happened to you?", she asked.

"I smacked myself into the wall trying to get over here while putting my shirt on."

Camilla giggled and the three watched the match more intently. Steiner was trying to take off the heavy wrapping on Hunter's sore thigh, eliciting protest from both Flair and the referee. Momentum shifted back and forth between the two competitors, with the Nature Boy intermittingly aiding the champion. Steiner began to pick up steam, however, suplexing Hunter over his head several times. As Steiner began to lock in the Steiner Recliner, Flair motioned to the back. Randy, Matt, and Camilla all got up and ran to the ring, joining a worried Batista. The ring was now populated with Evolution members, and the referee didn't bother calling for the bell. Batista was thrown over the top rope quickly by Steiner, and Randy quietly made his way to the top turnbuckle. Steiner caught Randy before he could attempt any sort of maneuver, and threw the older Orton into Batista, sending them both crashing to the floor.

The referee tried to restore order to the match, corralling Flair, Batista, and Randy and ejecting them from ringside. He didn't realize Matthew slipping into the ring and smacking Steiner in the back of the head with his newly won belt. Matt slipped back out before the referee turned around and allowed Hunter to lift Steiner back up for the Pedigree. The ref counted to three, winning HHH the match. All of Evolution climbed back into the ring, Hunter and Matthew holding their titles high in the air. For tonight, at least, Evolution was the dominant force on RAW.

* * *

The gang was in the limo ride back to the hotel. Flair had opened a bottle of champagne, spraying the foam all over everyone. He passed around glasses full of the bubbly and two made their way over to Matthew and Camilla. She leaned over to her boyfriend and asked … 

"Should we drink this? I mean … we're still underage."

"I'm asking myself the same question", Matt replied. After thinking for a bit, he put the glass down. "Do you wanna just get a couple of milkshakes when we get to the hotel?"

"That sounds good!", Camilla said, leaning her head on Matt's shoulder. Matt passed down the two glasses of champagne to Dave, who happily chugged them down. After all the bubbly was gone, Hunter became serious, erasing the jovial tone.

"Orton, you did awesome out there. Even with all of …" Hunter had trouble bringing himself to say it. " … DX out there, you pulled it together and took that little nuisance out."

"Thanks, Hunter … but I wouldn't have won without Randy's help." Matt slapped his brother on the back while saying this. "That's why I want to my first title defense to be against him tomorrow night."

Hunter nearly dropped his glass. "What? Why?"

"Well … I think we've all been wanting to see me and Randy in the ring fighting against each other."

Batista interrupted. "He's already pinned you once, Matt."

"Only with a little _outside_ help, Dave. Besides … that was in the ring at home. This'll be in an official ring in front of the whole nation. We'll finally find out who the better Orton is."

Dave nodded his head in approval and looked to Hunter, wondering what his response would be. Hesitantly, Hunter nodded his head as well, and the brothers gave each other a high five. Once arriving at the hotel, Matt and Camilla stepped away from the group and headed to the hotel's restaurant to pick up their milkshakes. They sat at a table with lighted candles and what sounded like classical music in the background.

"You don't know how happy I am for you, Matt. If you would have asked me a year ago where we would be, I would have never guessed that I would be the girlfriend of the Intercontinental Champion."

"I wouldn't have either", Matt replied. "Any other night, we would be in the backyard in the hammock looking up at the stars. Tonight, however, we're in an expensive restaurant drinking banana milkshakes after me winning this belt … I guess this is an omen for our relationship. Our love has gone a hell of a lot, but we've stayed together. We were separated for a long time, then what happened at the Royal Rumble … and we're still with each other."

Matthew put his hand on Camilla's before continuing. She looked down at it and one thought entered her mind. A large smile spread across her face as Matthew took another sip of his milkshake and got to his feet; she expected him to kneel in front of her.

"Ready to head up to the room?", Matt asked.

Camilla's smile faded a bit, but she nodded in affirmation. The two lovebirds walked out of the restaurant, milkshakes in one hand and interlocking fingers with the other. When they got to their suite, Matt and Camilla found Randy passed out with an empty pizza box on the floor next to his bed.

"How long were we down there?", Matthew queried.

"I don't know … but your brother must have been hungry."

Matt and Camilla separated to go put on some pajamas. While changing, Matt couldn't help but admire himself in the mirror with the Intercontinental belt on. He had his first championship at just seventeen years old. Matt couldn't remember anyone in the history of the WWE that had won a title at that young an age. He walked out in his pajama bottoms with the belt still on and crashed on the bed, exhausted. Nodding off, Matt closed his eyes and started counting sheep.

That stopped when Camilla sat down on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. She was wearing the same pajama bottoms as Matt and a hot pink Evolution t-shirt.

"You're not going to sleep in your own bed?"

"No. I think we're ready to sleep in the same one."

Matt's eyes widened and couldn't find anything to say. Camilla rested her head against Matthew's chest and closed her eyes. He was still under the assumption that they would sleep in separate beds and found this situation kind of awkward. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought Randy had his eyes open and was looking at them. Matt turned to face him, but Randy closed his eyes and snored really loud. Unable to move, Matt slowly fell asleep with mixed feelings at Camilla's actions.

* * *

Eric threw his bag against the wall of the hotel room, slamming himself down in a chair. His head was still aching from the MKO he received on a steel chair. Shawn and Jeff backed off, surprised at the anger taking hold of the young Barringer. 

"Those goddamn brothers … and to believe I was Matt's best friend! I want to **tear him apart**!"

"Eric, come on. Calm down!", Shawn yelled.

"How the hell can I calm down after losing the one shot I had to beat some sense into Matt?!"

Jeff and Shawn looked at each other, both men confused.

"So … the match wasn't about the title?", Hardy asked.

"No … far from it. I felt like I still had a chance to convince Matt to break off from Evolution. And since DX is back …"

"You want him with us."

"… yeah."

For the first time that night, Eric seemed like he was his old self again.

"Don't worry, kid", HBK replied. "In time, Matt will be wearing the DX colors. I guarantee that."

"He's got his head too far in the clouds for that to happen. Him winning the title isn't gonna help either."

"Then we need to take it off him", Jeff proposed. "Challenge him to a rematch tomorrow. One-on-one. No one interferes. Look at the other two times you faced Matt in a singles match. Both wins. There's no way you can lose in a fair fight."

Eric took his head out of his hands and looked up at Jeff and Shawn. "Think Bischoff will grant me the match?"

"I think we can convince him. We _are_ D-Generation X, after all", Shawn replied with a smirk on his face.

"Then I take that title away from Matthew tomorrow night."

* * *

Matthew woke up the next morning to find that Camilla wasn't snuggled up next to him. The bedside clock read 9:30 AM, and Matt wandered over to the window, looking down at the city below. He could hear the shower running and assumed it was Camilla because Randy was sitting up watching television. 

"I'm real proud of ya, Matt", Randy blurted out.

"I know", Matt replied, still wearing the Intercontinental belt. "This belt has a good home."

"Well, that too, but I'm proud of you for another reason." Matt turned around and crossed his arms at his brother, wondering what he meant. "I'm proud that you've found someone you truly love."

Matt was taken aback by Randy's comment.

"The real reason I told you to wait a couple of years was that I was jealous of you having someone. You know … if one brother has something, the other brother wants to have it. It's the first law of brotherhood. When you told me you wanted to marry her, I _had_ to stop you. It's not that I wanted you to wait … I didn't want to be left behind."

Matt didn't know how to feel. He was a little outraged that Randy would try to hold him back in this manner, but he was sympathetic with his brother's inability to rediscover love.

"But … since you've already left me behind in terms of championships, I know that things aren't always going to be 'big brother first'. You're your own individual and I have to accept that. We grow at different rates, and … and if you think you're ready to jump to the next level, I support you."

The first thing Matt did was take off the Intercontinental belt. Now it didn't seem significant at all.

"Randy … I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. If you want to ask her right now, ask her right now."

Matt looked at the side pocket in his duffel bag. Inside it was the ring.

"I don't think I'm ready." It looked like Randy was about to protest, but Matt held up a hand to stop him. "Last night, when Camilla decided to sleep beside me, I didn't know why."

"Where did you guys go last night?"

"We decided not to drink the champagne and went to the restaurant on the lobby floor to get milkshakes."

"Milkshake?" Randy licked his lips. "Man … that sounds good right now."

Matthew laughed and continued on. "I talked to her about our relationship and it seemed like she was getting increasingly happy as I kept talking. Then when I got up and walked around the table to her, her smile was ear-to-ear. When I asked her if she was ready to go back up here, she almost seemed … I don't know … disappointed."

Randy smiled. "She thought you were going to ask her right then and there."

"What?! How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Matt, she loves you just as much as you love her. I really think she wants you to ask her."

"Well … she might be ready. But I don't think I am."

"Then you take all the time you need. I'm sure she can be patient."

Meanwhile, Camilla had her ear pressed against the bathroom door, listening in to the conversation between the brothers. A big smile was on her face as she realized that Matt could pop the question any day now.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly with no interruption. The trio trained with Batista in the workout room downstairs while Hunter and Flair tried to bargain with Bischoff concerning the night's card. There would be an over-the-top-rope battle royal as RAW's main event, with the winner as the challenger for the World Heavyweight title at WrestleMania XIX. Matthew planned to ask Bischoff to grant him the match between him and Randy for the strap. He knew that Eric might have something up his sleeve, but didn't know what. All in all, he didn't care; Matt had already proved that he could beat Eric senseless. 

After the pyro for RAW went off, Matthew watch the recap package for No Way Out. Images of him hitting Eric with the sledgehammer and him hitting Steiner with the belt made Matt feel like he was on top of the world. Matt started to walk to the entrance area to challenge Randy to a match, but was surprised when he heard …

"**Are you ready?**"

Apparently, Eric had beaten him to the punch. He looked at a nearby monitor and saw Shawn, Eric, and Jeff all march out to the ring, despite them being unsuccessful last night. Eric picked up a microphone, but paused as he drank in the applause and cheers of the crowd.

"Last night … last night, I lost the Intercontinental title." The crowd booed heavily, and Eric smiled. "Naturally, I'm out here to demand my rematch … and I want it **tonight!**"

Matt wasted no time and made his appearance on the stage to Evolution's theme song. He kept an eye on all three Degenerates as he grabbed his own microphone and climbed into the ring, the Intercontinental belt shining around his waist.

"What makes you think you deserve a rematch, Eric? I beat the crap out of you Sunday night …"

"Correction, Matt. You and your coward brother Randy caused this!" Eric pointed to the large bandage across his forehead. Matt was outraged at hearing his brother termed like this.

"Coward? You're the coward, Eric! You had your two comrades here come and interfere in the match, and you _still_ couldn't win!" Shawn and Jeff began to close in behind Eric, angered at Matthew's comments. "As a matter of fact, I was going to come out here to challenge my brother to a match for this very belt, before you so rudely interrupted me."

Eric Bischoff's music began to play, and all four men in the ring turned towards the stage as RAW's general manager appeared on the stage.

"Hold on there, gentlemen! You've both forgotten that I make the matches around here. Eric, you had your chance at the title last night and if you're going to want another one, you're going to earn it."

Matt had a smirk across his face. _"Shove it, Eric"_, he thought to himself.

"And since I really had no number one contenders in mind and Mr. Orton came up with another name, it'll be Eric Barringer against Randy Orton for the number one contender's spot next week on RAW."

"_Oh crap …"_ Matt's cockiness was gone; he didn't know if Randy could beat Eric.

"Now … why not have it tonight? Well, I have some special plans for Evolution and D-Generation X. In addition to the over-the-top-rope battle royal I have planned for tonight, we'll see the leaders of both factions face off." The crowd started to cheer as they realized who they were. "That's right! Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels. And … and … if HBK wins, he'll get a title shot at WrestleMania!"

Now the crowd went nuts. Matt knew that Hunter wasn't going to be happy.

"And then … oh, I'm not finished people. Then, tonight, it will be the remaining members of DX, Hardy and Barringer, against both Ortons!"

Matt smiled. _"Another opportunity for us to kick some ass."_ He turned around to see Jeff and Eric pound fists together in affirmation. Bischoff's music played as RAW went to commercial.

Matthew returned to the locker room, getting nearly tackled down by Randy as he entered. Randy was just excited to have another tag team match with his brother, despite almost knocking Matthew down. To Matt's surprise, even Hunter was smiling.

"You're rather … happy", Matthew commented.

"I've been waiting for the moment to get my hands on Shawn ever since he reformed DX without me. He won't be walking by the end of the night."

Matt had no doubt that Hunter would make good on his words. As he was walking over to change into his gold trunks, he was snatched to the side by Camilla, who pulled him to a hidden corner of the room.

"Matthew … I heard your conversation with Randy this morning."

Matt's eyes widened as he realized the spot he was in and tried to play it off. "Um … no, Randy and I were talking … uh …"

"You can't hide this from me anymore, Matt. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Camilla leaned in for a kiss, but wasn't met by Matthew.

"Camilla, I don't know if I'm ready for this."

"You _are_ ready. Matthew, I've dreamed of this moment for the longest time."

Matthew sighed and looked down at the ground. "I don't know. I need more time to think about this."

Camilla was disappointed. "Just know that I love you, and I always will. Tell ya what … I'll even go down to the ring with you tonight."

Matt managed a weak smile. Camilla ran a hand down his cheek and leaned in for another kiss, this time getting a proper response from Matt. Looking for his brother, a ready Randy peeked around the corner to see the couple kissing.

"Matt …"

Matthew jumped back, startled at Randy's presence.

"… put your gear on, bro. We're next up."

Matt looked down at Camilla and smiled. "I have some business to attend to."

* * *

_The secret's out, but Matthew now doesn't think he's prepared for marriage. How long will it take him to realize whether or not he's ready for something of this magnitude? How will Randy and Matt fare in their match against DX?_

_Stick a fork in this chapter. It's done. Please review, and I hope you liked it!_


	26. Communication

_FINALS ARE OVER! WHOOOOOOO!_

_Okay … I'm calm. Matt and Randy face Jeff and Eric in a preview of weeks to come. Will Evolution or DX come out the victors? And a surprise trade from Smackdown sends both factions scrambling to deal with RAW's newest acquisition. After all this, the battle royal to determine who Triple H's opponent at WrestleMania XIX will take place. _

_Expect more frequent updates now that summer break is upon me. Hope you like it!_

* * *

Matt and Randy made their usual entrance, displaying their confidence, or cockiness as J.R. liked to call it, to the crowd. After climbing in the ring and posing on the turnbuckle, they huddled in the middle of the ring and quickly talked strategy. 

"You or me first?" asked Matthew.

"Let me at him if it's Eric first. You can have Hardy."

Matt nodded and turned to see Jeff and Eric come out to DX's music. Eric, surprisingly, pointed straight at Randy, yelling loudly. Barringer was irate at Randy for stalling his rematch with Matthew, and he wanted to beat some sense into him. Eric dove in and speared Randy down and out of the ring. Matt was frozen in place; Eric's spear surprised him. Jeff took advantage and kicked Matthew down as the bell rung to officially start the match.

Randy was taking a beating from Eric outside the ring, Barringer delivering punch after punch to the side of the older Orton's head. Matthew struggled to get outside to help Randy, but was held back by Hardy's own flurry of attacks. Summoning his strength, Matt shoved Jeff back and slipped out of the ring towards Eric and Randy.

Matt grabbed Eric by the arm and pulled him off, launching him into the black ring barrier. Looking back up to the ring, he only saw a blur as Jeff leaped over the top rope and crashed into Matthew. Everyone was outside the ring in pain, and the ref started his ten-count. After the ref got to five, Randy managed to get on his feet and pull Matthew up with him.

"Get … get Eric. I'll … work on Hardy."

Matt nodded and turned around to see Eric crawling back into the ring. He climbed the turnbuckle and launched himself at Eric, but was met with a dropkick in midair from Barringer, making the crowd groan loudly. Randy looked in the ring in response to see his brother clutching his stomach. Randy tried to help him, but Hardy tripped him up, sending Randy face first into the side of the ring. Matt caught this out of the corner of his eye, but had no way of helping his brother; Eric had the Camel Clutch locked in tight and Matt was way too far from the ropes to have any chance of getting a rope break. Matt could see Jeff on the apron, cheering Eric on. From somewhere behind him, he could hear Randy weakly yelling.

"Hold on … don't give up, Matt! Remember what you practiced!"

Although the breath was quickly leaving him, Matt started to swing his body weight to the sides. He managed to cause Eric's knee to fall to the side, and rolled out of Eric's grip to his corner, where he quickly tagged in Randy. The two number one contenders to the Intercontinental title stared each other down before laying into each other with punches. Randy stumbled back after a strong right hand into the ropes and Eric slammed him down with a hard clothesline.

Matt saw Randy's head bounce off the mat hard and cringed. Eric picked Randy up and tossed him to the ropes for a swinging neckbreaker. Randy was now clutching his head and Matthew was getting increasingly worried. Eric tagged in Hardy and Jeff went up to the turnbuckle for what Matt assumed was the Swanton Bomb.

"_No, this isn't ending this early"_, the younger Orton thought to himself. He quickly walked around the apron and yanked on the top rope as hard as he could, causing Jeff to fall face first to the mat. Eric glared at him with the most malicious of glances, but Matt wasn't intimidated. He extended his arm to his brother, calling out his name for a tag. Randy started to slowly make his way over to his corner, but was caught by Jeff and dragged back to his own corner. Eric slipped off the apron to keep an eye on Matt while Jeff prepared for the Swanton Bomb again. Matt could do nothing but watch as Hardy flew threw the air…

… and hit canvas.

Randy managed to roll out the way, and was crawling back to Matthew. Matt got the tag and climbed up to the turnbuckle himself, hitting his somersault leg drop on the fallen Hardy. Eric tried to climb into the ring, but was denied with a sliding dropkick, sending him into the base of the announcer's table. He signaled for the MKO as Hardy was getting back up and succeeded, picking up the three-count. Matt dragged his brother out of the ring as Eric was trying to exact some revenge.

"Randy, can you hear me?" Matt asked his brother, trying to elicit a response from him. Randy nodded, albeit a small one, and Matt helped him walk up the ramp as Evolution's theme music played.

"My … my head …" Randy groaned out.

"I know, I know. I'm taking you to the trainer."

Matt heard Randy chuckle after they stepped behind the curtain.

"What are you laughing about? You could have a concussion!"

"Isn't this ironic? I'm … I'm supposed to be the one taking care of you, but now it's the other way around."

Matt managed a little smile as he saw Batista and Camilla run over to him to help take Randy to the trainer. Dave took Randy on his shoulder and Camilla stayed behind with Matthew.

"Are you okay?" she asked Matt.

"I'm fine, but I'm worried about Randy. He hit his head pretty hard out there."

Camilla put her arm around Matt as he sat down on a table. "He'll be fine. If he can survive a separated shoulder, he can pull through this. Besides, you worry too much about him. He's 22 years old. He can take care of himself."

"It's not that. I mean, I'm not trying to be overprotective or anything. It's just … even after almost a year knowing Randy, I'm still in that 'I can't believe I have a brother and I want to enjoy a new life with him' phase."

Camilla giggled and shook her head. "You need to grow up! Part of the reason you had such a hard time in that match is because you were too worried about Randy. If you want Hunter to keep you as a tag team, you need to focus on the match itself and not on him."

"You haven't even been in a match yet, and you're giving me advice."

"Hey!" Camilla punched Matthew in the shoulder. "I've watched plenty of wrestling to know a good strategy. Now go get cleaned up. You've still got the battle royal coming up tonight."

Matt shuddered. He had completely forgotten about it and wondered if Randy would be able to compete. _"Heh … maybe she's right. The first thing I thought about was Randy."_ He then wondered if it was even a good idea to be in the battle royal. If a member of Evolution won, they would have to face Triple H at WrestleMania, and that wasn't a good idea right now. Matt didn't think he was ready enough to split Evolution in twain; Randy would think the same. Something was nagging him though. The way Randy looked and spoke that night in Las Vegas … was he sincere?

Matt and Camilla looked up to see Batista and Randy walking towards them, the older Orton with a bag of ice on his head.

"He's just a little shaken up, that's all. A little rest and he's good to go for the battle royal tonight", Dave stated.

"Battle what?" Randy stuttered. Apparently he had either forgotten or was just too banged up to comprehend what was said.

"It's gonna be us three, right? Me, you, and Randy?" Matt asked Batista.

"The aim is to take out any DX members first, then go after Steiner and any other major players."

"But what if one of us wins? Would we face Hunter at WrestleMania?"

Dave chuckled. "I'm sure Hunter could wiggle his way out of it somehow." He looked at the confused face on Matthew and replied. "Look, Matt. I know what you're thinking, and I'm a little tired of it also."

The two brothers looked at each other, then at the big man. Dave saw the smirks on their faces.

"You two think so too, huh? Hunter's an okay guy, but he's one of the most power hungry people I've ever met. He'd do anything to stay on top. I think it's best for us to stay under his wing for a while, but then take off when the time is right."

"Exactly what I was telling Matt!" Randy exclaimed. "Would you wanna group up with us? Take Triple H down, then get all the titles and rule RAW?"

"Sounds like a plan. I'm cool with that … as long as I'm the champion."

"I think you'd have to go through us to get that", Matt replied, trying to jut out his chest to look tough.

"I'd have no problem with it. A friendly bout, nothing wrong with that."

A small cough was heard, and all three men looked over at Camilla. "I think you guys are forgetting about the future Women's Champion. Hunter is old and stale. He was right though when we formed that night on RAW. **We** are the future. They're the past. It'll be time to leave him and Flair behind."

The men looked at Camilla, a little stunned. "Big words from a little lady", Batista said.

Matt backed off and let Camilla step up to Dave. Even though there was an almost two-foot height difference, she didn't look like she was intimidated. "After just one match, you'll be impressed."

"I don't know about that, Camilla", said Matthew, rubbing his lower back. "It took a _lot_ for me to impress Dave. It just hurts remembering that Batista Bomb. When do you debut, anyway?"

"Next week. Although I don't know who I'm going up against yet."

"Is Orton okay?" A familiar voice joined the conversation, and everyone turned around to see Hunter in his gear walking out to the ring.

"I'm fine. Just a little dazed."

"Good. Anyway, after I take down Shawn is the battle royal. You guys know what to do."

Just as Hunter was walking away, Randy mustered up the courage to ask Hunter a question. "H, what happens if one of us wins?"

Hunter spun back around and looked at Randy oddly. Matthew and Batista shot a nervous glance at the older Orton. Hunter clearly thought about it for a second, and then replied.

"Then whoever won gets their shot."

Hunter turned around and walked away again, leaving the four remaining members of Evolution stunned. After Triple H had stepped beyond the curtain, Matthew spoke up.

"There's no way he would just _give _one of us a title shot. He has too much of an ego to let one of his underlings have a chance to take the title away from him."

"He's probably confident enough to think he would have no problem beating whoever won", Randy answered

Batista raised an eyebrow. "Hunter's got another thing comin' then."

The group went back to the locker room to watch the upcoming match on the monitor. On the way, they all passed Shawn Michaels, who looked ready to defend himself. However, they just walked on by without even a second look, which surprised the Heartbreak Kid. Batista and Randy sat down to watch while Matt pulled Camilla to the same corner they were at earlier.

"Listen … I want to marry you. I really do. I just … I just need some time. When you hopped into bed to sleep with me that night, that kinda shocked me."

"Is that what this is about?! Matt, do you think I want to accelerate our relationship into hyperdrive or something?"

"It's just … I was brought up thinking that you should wait until marriage …"

Camilla punched Matt in the shoulder. "I didn't hop into bed with you that night to … to … you think I wanted to have _sex_ with you?! Matt, I just felt so happy for you that you won the title …" Camilla looked at the floor. "I didn't mean to send you that message. I'm not that kind of person."

"You … you _did_ make a pass at Randy, you know."

The two were silent for a bit at Matthew's last comment.

"I know I can't change what I did, Matthew. I … I …" Camilla started to tear up.

"Wait, Camilla, don't cry. Please, don't cry." Matt hugged her to try to stop the flow of tears. "You've changed. You're not like that anymore. Camilla, marrying you will be the best thing that will happen to me."

She looked up, her eyes red. "Just … I know why you want to wait now. Take all the time you want." They embraced again just as they heard the bell ringing coming from the television. Matt and Camilla rushed back out to see the referee lift up HBK's arm and Hunter knocked out on the mat. The two men had looks of indifference on their faces, however.

"Now the battle royal won't have that much significance", Randy said.

Batista replied, "Are you kidding? This makes the RAW main event a triple threat match. Now Hunter's going to actually _want_ one of us to win!"

After a short while, Hunter limped back into the locker room holding the side of his head. Matt surmised Hunter got the bad end of some Sweet Chin Music. HHH sat down, breathing heavily, and had some words for the men of Evolution.

"One of you … better win … that goddamn … battle royal."

Matt, Randy, and Dave exchanged glances and prepared themselves. However, they were distracted when they heard Bischoff's music and looked on as he picked up a microphone.

"Tonight is a good night for Monday Night RAW. Tonight, I have made one of the most brilliant business decisions. I have decided to go out with the old and in with the new. There is, or was as I should say, a rising young talent on Smackdown who I had to pull over to my show. So, I decided to put up a legend. I traded Ric Flair for …"

Backstage, Evolution was shocked. They had no idea that Flair had been traded. Hunter was having the worst of fits, throwing everything he could get his hands on across the room.

"… well, you'll see tonight. He's the last surprise entrant in tonight's battle royal, which is starting right now!"

Rob Van Dam made his way to the ring, followed by his tag team partner, Kane. Tommy Dreamer was next, followed by the Hurricane, Chris Jericho, Christian, and both members of Three Minute Warning. Booker T soon joined the fray, and the crowd went absolutely berserk when the Rock climbed into the ring. Steiner was next, getting incredible boos for the crowd. DX's music hit next and Jeff Hardy and Eric Barringer walked into the ring. Batista and both Ortons then made their way down to the action. Then, almost all at once, every single person in the arena, including the wrestlers, turned to the entrance ramp, waiting to see who the newest addition to the RAW roster was.

Matt couldn't believe his ears when "Basic Thuganomics" began to play and John Cena walked down to the ring. To Matt's surprise, Cena stared him down in the middle of the ring in front of everyone. Matt extended his hand to his good friend with a smile on his face. As the bell rang, Cena accepted the handshake, and together wailed on whoever was nearest to them. Randy and Dave looked at each other and shrugged, then began to beat on Steiner.

The Hurricane was eliminated first, followed by Tommy Dreamer, Chris Jericho, and Rob Van Dam. Matt called Cena over to try to eliminate Kane, but was stopped by a double chokeslam from the Big Red Machine. Kane, however, didn't remain in the match for long; Batista gave him a strong clothesline over the top rope, eliminating him. Rosey and Jamal then double teamed Batista, sending him over the top rope and to the floor.

DX then went on a rampage, eliminating Booker T and Christian. Steiner exacted some revenge on Randy, eliminating him from the match after a suplex to the floor. Rosey and Jamal then tried to throw Matthew over, but was stopped, oddly enough, by the Rock, who tossed Jamal over. Cena was then attacked by Hardy and Barringer, the rapper teetering on the top rope. Matthew attacked Steiner, unaware of Cena's position. Together with the Rock, Matt eliminated Steiner by brute force, shoving him up and over.

Six were left: Rosey, the Rock, Matthew, both members of DX, and Cena. The Rock went at it with the remaining member of Three Minute Warning while Matthew ran over to help Cena. Hardy turned around and delivered a stiff kick to the stomach, then a quick Twist of Fate to the younger Orton. Cena was out of luck, finally getting shoved over by DX. Rosey's time was up too, getting back body dropped over the rope by the Rock. The Great One realized the tension between the junior member of Evolution and DX and backed off, leaving Eric and Jeff to attack Matthew.

They managed to throw Matthew over, but Matt landed on the apron. Using all his strength, Matt managed to pick Hardy up by the shoulders and toss him over and to the floor, nearly tripping off the apron himself. Eric tried to ram Matt off the apron with a spear, but missed as Matt hopped over the rope back into the ring just as Eric was coming towards him. The time on his feet was short-lived however, as the Rock delivered a Rock Bottom to Matthew, nearly knocking him out. Rock picked up Matthew and tossed him over, eliminating the last member of Evolution. Eric charged at the Rock, but met the same fate Rosey did and was tossed over, crashing into Matthew, who was slowly getting to his feet.

The Rock won the battle royal, making the RAW main event at WrestleMania Triple H vs. HBK vs. the Rock in a Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight title. As he made his way backstage, Matt knew Hunter wasn't going to be happy.

* * *

_The fallout of No Way Out has passed, putting two legends in contention for Hunter's gold. Triple H has some choice words for Evolution after the match. Getting home, Matthew will ask Randy for advice and uncovers a secret about his brother. Then, Randy and Eric will have their number one contender's match for Matt's strap the next week on RAW. And where does John Cena fit in this equation?_

_Yay for summer! And I didn't bomb my exams! _

_Hope you enjoyed this one. Don't forget to review!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	27. Kindling

_Matt and Randy won their match, but Hunter now has to face two men in his title defense at WrestleMania. Hunter reacts to Evolution's failure to even the odds in his favor at the battle royal. Plus, Randy and Matthew discuss doing something for Matt's birthday. Then, the first of three matches for Evolution on RAW: Camilla's debut. _

_Hope you like it!_

* * *

Matt began to walk backstage to the locker room, holding his neck and lower back. The Intercontinental belt was wrapped loosely around his waist; he didn't have the patience to put it on correctly after being eliminated from the battle royal. 

"_For a minute there, I thought I was actually going to beat the Rock …jeez. __**That**__ would have been the upset of the year."_

As he was thinking about what could have ensued if he had won, Matt turned the corner and nearly smacked into someone. He looked up to see a familiar face in front of him.

"Yo! Whatsup, homie?"

"Cena!" Matt shook John's hand and gave him a slap on the back. "How were things on Smackdown?"

"Normal. A couple of feuds here and there, and all of a sudden I'm here on RAW."

"Any title shots?"

"Nah. Never got the chance to." Cena noticed the belt around Matt's waist. "Looks like you did, bro."

"Yeah." Matt hoisted the belt around his shoulder. "I had to fight a former good friend over it. You watched No Way Out, right?"

"Fo' sure, man. That was one hell of a match. I don't know how you got back up after you fell from hangin' on that sledgehammer."

Matt shook his head and looked at the floor. "I don't know how I got up either."

"But ya know I'm gonna come for it, right?"

"Bring it, Cena. I'd be happy to give you another match where I kick your ass again."

"I don't know about that, Matt. Hell, two weeks from now, you may not even have the title."

"Randy can't beat me. He may be my older brother, but I've got him outwitted on every strategy."

"What about that other guy, Barringer? He beat you twice before. If you wouldn't have had your bro by your side at No Way Out, you would have lost that match."

Matt recognized those words. "Shut up, John. Barringer doesn't have the ability to get this belt off me. Neither does Randy or even **you**."

"That so?" Getting a little irritated, Cena stood toe to toe with his friend and stared Matthew in the eye. "Then put that belt on the line next week."

Orton chuckled. "You think you deserve a shot one week after you get here? I don't think so. You march off to Bischoff and ask to be added into the #1 contender's match next week. If you win, you'll get your shot."

"You're on. I'll see you in the ring two weeks from now."

Matt took the belt from his shoulder and hoisted it high in the air. "We'll see."

"**ORTON! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU**"

Cena and Orton heard a voice bellow throughout the hall and Matthew instantly recognized it. They saw Hunter storm around the corner, who pushed the younger Orton up against the wall in a split second. Matthew, for that split second, was terrified until Cena tore Triple H away from him.

"Leave the kid alone, man!"

"**Stay out of this, Cena!**" Hunter turned back to face Matthew. The face of the leader of Evolution was red as a beet, but he was too angry to form a coherent sentence. Looking at Cena, he left as quickly as he appeared. The two friends were stunned.

"Watch out for him. Once you're on Evolution's bad side, he might send one of us to take you out", Matthew advised.

"I meant to talk to you about that. Do you think being with that nut is a good idea?"

"I know. I've had this talk before with Randy and Dave. We're gonna wait until it's the right time to high tail it away from Triple H."

"Good to know. But let me warn ya, bro. If Evolution threatens me in any way, I won't hesitate to take each and every one of you down."

Matt narrowed his eyes at Cena. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Losing one friend is hard enough for me."

"I don't get it."

"Barringer was my best friend from high school. Now we hate each other, and it pains me to no end that I have a complete and total animosity towards someone I considered a friend. I don't know if I could take losing another one like that."

"Word. Just know that if Hunter and his gang give you trouble, I've got your back."

"I will. Thanks. Welcome to RAW", Matt said with a smirk. Cena nodded and walked away towards the general locker room. At first, Matt was hesitant about going back to Evolution's locker room, but decided that Hunter wouldn't dare touch him in front of Randy, Dave, and Camilla. He poked his head inside and saw Hunter talking on the phone in the corner. Matt sat down beside Camilla, who was making ice packs for her boys. She walked over to Matt and gave him a big hug.

"You tried."

"Yeah. If the Rock wasn't there, I would have tossed Eric over and won."

Camilla didn't let go for a while. She thought about when she and Matt would be in this position, Camilla wearing a white wedding dress and Matt in a big, fancy tuxedo. She thought about her vows and what she would say to him and what he would say to her. She could see Dave, Hunter, and Randy sitting in the front row smiling as the two kissed.

"Hey … you want to let me go now?"

Camilla snapped out of her daydream and broke the hug. She handed Randy and Dave their ice packs and started working on one for Matt when Hunter ended his phone conversation and got serious.

"Now. Since you three _failed_ to win that …" Hunter glared at his three subordinates. "… I had to convince to Bischoff set up some matches for us. Camilla, you'll have your debut against Victoria. Randy, you'll face that little prick, Barringer. Matt, you and Dave will tag up and face Shawn and the Rock."

Everyone looked at each other, some smiling and some a little apprehensive. Camilla and Randy looked as confident as ever, but Dave and Matt looked like their match was going to be an uphill battle.

"And you? What match do you have?" Randy questioned.

"I don't need one. You three need to learn a lesson for not doing what I tell you to do."

Dave nearly lost it. He wanted to stand up and give Hunter a piece of his mind right then and there, but Randy put a hand on his shoulder to remind him of what they had discussed earlier. After Hunter left the room, the group remained quiet until Randy broke the silence.

"What took you so long to get back here, Matt?"

"Oh … I ran into Cena and caught up with him."

"Caught up?" Batista asked. "What do you mean?"

"After my debut match against him, we became buddies. If I had stayed on Smackdown, I would have tagged up with him."

"With that annoyance? I beat the crap out of him in a match to just shut him up", Dave added.

"He's not an annoyance to me. I find the whole rap gimmick funny."

Dave shook his head. "I guess I'm too old for this kind of humor." Batista stood up and went off to change while Randy and Matt remained with Camilla on a bench.

"I don't know how we're gonna last like this under Triple H. You saw the look on Batista's face when Hunter screamed at us. It's gonna be a matter of time before one of us snaps", Randy said in a whisper.

"I thought _I_ had a temper problem. Dave looked like he was going to beat Hunter to hell and back", Matt replied.

"You two shut up and change so we can get back to the hotel and not have to talk like this", Camilla uttered.

The two brothers changed and Evolution hopped in their limo to the hotel. After grabbing some drinks and snacks from the vending machine, Matt came back to the room to hook up his PlayStation2 to the television. While Camilla was taking a shower, Randy chugged down a couple of root beers and Matt tried once again to beat Oogie Boogie in Kingdom Hearts. After failing yet another time, Matt tossed the controller on the bed and turned off the system.

"I'll never beat this damn game."

"Just like you'll never beat me", Randy quipped.

Matthew looked over at Randy and shot him a look. "You still have to beat Eric next week. So shut up."

At that moment, Matt could hear a cell phone ringing. Randy recognized it as his and motioned to get it, but his brother swiped it from under his hand. Matt looked at the caller ID and was pleasantly surprised.

"Torrie? From Smackdown? You never told me you had a girlfriend!"

Randy snatched the cell phone back. "She not exactly my girlfriend", he snapped. He got up and walked out of the room to answer the phone. Meanwhile, Camilla walked out of the shower with her pajamas on.

"Where's Randy?"

"Talking to his girlfriend."

"He has a girlfriend?!" Camilla asked with a smile on her face. "Who is it?"

"Well … 'not exactly' his girlfriend, according to him. It's Torrie Wilson, from Smackdown."

"Torrie? I met her at the Rumble; she's seems like a good person."

Randy walked back into the room to see Matt and Camilla looking up at him.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"What did you two talk about?" a curious Camilla asked.

Randy hesitated before speaking. "She … she wanted to wish me luck for my match next week. And she wanted to know when she could see me again."

"Again? You two dated before?" Matt queried.

"When I was on Smackdown … yeah, a couple of times. I don't know. I was kind of falling for her."

Matt and Camilla looked at each other and Camilla began to sing, "Randy and Torrie sittin' in a tree…" Matt began to have a hearty laugh before Randy gave him a swift punch to the shoulder. Even clutching his shoulder, Matt continued to laugh.

"She wants to have another date sometime this week."

"Well, that's great! We could make it a double date!" Camilla exclaimed.

Randy looked down at Matthew still laughing on the floor and kicked him in the stomach, finally shutting him up. "That'll work. I'll run the idea by Torrie and we can set up something."

Matt managed to pull himself up onto the bed despite him being out of breath and was hit in the stomach again, this time by Camilla.

"What … what was that for!?"

"I don't know." Camilla shrugged and took a sip from her root beer. Randy was the one laughing now. After Matt settled down and regained his breath, the three settled in for the night eager for the plane ride back home.

* * *

After unpacking his things and settling in for another week at home, Randy went down to the kitchen and fixed himself a tuna sandwich. He thought about how he would approach his match with Eric next Monday. The match was more about getting the chance to pound on Matthew rather than destroy a member of D-Generation X. But, perhaps more importantly, he wondered when or if Matthew would propose to Camilla. Now that the word was out about his relationship with Torrie Wilson, Randy couldn't hide his views towards love anymore. Even from the first night Randy saw Matthew, he gave his brother the impression that he was a player. A ladies man. The school jock that went out with all the cheerleaders. To an extent, Randy still was all those things. But, every once in a blue moon, that one girl came along that absolutely stole his heart. Jennifer was the first one. But after that one night at prom, Torrie was the only one who even came close to filling the void. Randy didn't know if he was ready to reveal his true feelings toward her to anyone. 

"Fix me a sandwich for me too, bro." Randy jumped at hearing Matthew's voice.

"Yeah … sure. How many do you want?"

"Two. With relish."

"Relish? Yuck."

"How the hell can you not like relish? It's just diced up pickles!"

Randy couldn't hold it in anymore. "Matthew, I think I love Torrie. _Oh, what the hell did I say that for?_"

Matt had just taken a sip from a root beer and did an immediate spit take. "What the hell? From out of left field…"

"You know love better than I do. When did you decide that you loved Camilla?"

Matt couldn't believe that Randy was asking him this. "Uh … I …" Matt scratched his head, searching for any sort of answer he could put together. "Well, I don't really have an answer for that. I guess, I guess you could say it was … cliché intended … love at first sight."

Randy sighed. "That doesn't help any. Torrie is just a nice, kind, supportive person. And she knows how to cheer me up whenever I feel down. I just feel different around her."

"Is it the same way Jennifer made you feel?"

"Almost identical."

"What makes it 'almost'?"

"I don't think someone could ever make me feel the same way Jennifer did."

Matthew paused before responding. "Listen. I know losing Jennifer was really hard on you, but you have to open yourself up. If you let her memory dominate you, you'll never find someone. I know its not a strong comparison, but think about how I handled losing Kimberly."

"Kimberly?"

"My first girlfriend. The one I first told you about in the car ride to the hotel that day in San Antonio."

"Oh … I'm sorry. I don't really remember."

"Anyway, I really thought Kim was going to be the one. Then she gets up and leaves me, and I felt similar to what you're feeling right now. But when Camilla came along … I didn't let Kim's memory hold me back. If you want to be with Torrie, you have to let her into your heart."

Randy nodded, then went back to fixing the sandwiches. "Ya know … this is kinda funny. Me asking you for advice."

"Yeah. It is. It probably won't happen again though."

Randy brought Matt's sandwiches to him and sat down beside his brother. "Thank you."

Matt took a bite. "Dammit, Randy! You forgot the relish!"

"Oh, jeez . Sorry." Camilla came in at that moment and sat down with the brothers, grabbing a couple of pieces of fruit from the counter.

"So what are you planning for your birthday, hon?"

"Well, I kinda wanted to treat Randy here to one of Texas' greatest treasures."

"South Padre Island?" asked Randy.

"No. Although that's an idea for another year. I want to take us to Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels."

"Schlitterwhat?"

"Schlitterbahn. It's a huge freakin' waterpark recognized as one of the best in the country."

Camilla chimed in. "A giant wave pool, a water roller coaster, all kinds of water rides. You can even tube down the Comal River."

Randy nodded in approval. "Sounds fun. Do they sell those ice cream dot things there like they do at all theme parks?"

"Yep."

"I'm in. When do we leave?"

Matthew chuckled. "We could take off from RAW that week straight to San Antonio, then drive up to New Braunfels."

"What about next week?" Camilla asked Randy. "Have you talked to Torrie yet?"

"Oh. Yeah. She thought it was a great idea. She saw you two backstage at No Way Out and thought you two were a cute couple."

Matthew and Camilla grinned and he gave her a small kiss on the cheek.

"I already booked us a reservation here in town for the Wednesday after this coming RAW."

"She'll be able to make it back in time for Smackdown?"

"Yep. Smackdown's gonna be here next week."

Randy heard his cell phone ring from down the hall and left the room, leaving Matthew and Camilla to themselves.

"When are you going to ask me?"

Matt laughed. "You really want this to happen soon, don't you?"

"Of course, you idiot!" Camilla punched him in the shoulder. "It would be the best day of my life!"

"Well, you'll be happy to know that I've decided when."

"**When?**" she screamed out.

"… I'm not telling you. I want it to be a surprise."

Camilla sighed and stormed out of the room.

"_A random RAW … WrestleMania … Backlash … Judgment Day … God only knows."_

* * *

Evolution's limo pulled in to yet another parking garage. This RAW was of incredible importance to the group: Camilla's debut, Randy's #1 contender match, and Matt and Dave's match against the two legends. As the group walked towards their locker room, Matt broke up and picked up a copy of the official card for the night. He looked down to see the three matches Hunter mentioned last week, with one slight difference. With a small smirk on his face, Matt rejoined Evolution and gave Randy the list. 

"Look at it."

Randy perused the paper presented to him and became enraged.

"What? How … how did that little …" Randy looked up at his brother. "_You_ suggested this to him, didn't you? _**You**_ were the one that put him in the match!"

"Cena was the one that came to me wanting a match for the strap. I told him that if he wanted a shot, he would have to speak to Bischoff. I guess he got his chance."

Randy calmed down. "You're just scared that I'm going to beat you. Now you're trying to stack the odds against me."

"If I wanted to do that, I would take you out before the match even started."

The older Orton was a little taken aback by Matthew's response. "You better watch your back now, Matt", Randy said, staring down his brother. Camilla had to intervene before a fight ensued.

"Hey, hey! None of this. Not now. If you two want to fight, you win your match tonight, Randy."

"And that won't … **be** … **a** … _**problem**_."

Matt hoisted the Intercontinental belt onto his shoulder and grinned right in front of Randy. "Let the sibling rivalry begin."

Camilla shook her head and went to change into her gear, matching Matthew's outfit in gold color. Her match was going to be the first of the night, and she wanted to have a little time to stretch and warm-up. She wasn't all that concerned; Camilla honestly thought that she was better than the whole of the WWE's female roster and even some of the guys as well. As she started to stretch, Camilla realized that much of the cockiness of Randy and Matthew had rubbed off on her.

"Hey, are you ready?" Matt had poked his head around the corner. He had just changed into his gear and was wearing an Evolution t-shirt.

"Yeah." They embraced for a short time and after a quick kiss, the couple walked out of the locker room. Victoria was already making her way to the ring. Camilla and Matt waited behind the curtain.

"Good luck."

"Luck? What is this word called 'luck'?"

Matt laughed. "I don't know how I would get through this every week without you."

Evolution's theme song started to play and the couple stepped out onto the stage. Camilla imitated Matthew's pose with Matt clapping behind her.

"Introducing her opponent, from San Antonio, Texas, Camilla!"

Matt gave Camilla one last kiss on the cheek before she ran down to the ring and immediately got in Victoria's face. The referee had to separate the two before calling for the match to start. Victoria gained the upper hand early, pushing Camilla back against the corner and delivering boots to the stomach. Matt slapped the mat and encouraged his girlfriend on; this gave Camilla enough energy to push Victoria to the ground. Victoria quickly got up, however, but only for a second. From out of nowhere, Camilla pulled out an RKO and laid Victoria out.

Backstage, the rest of Evolution was flabbergasted. Ringside, Matt couldn't believe his eyes. Camilla looked over at Matt and smiled. Matt thought he could make out "Watch this" from Camilla's moving lips and watched as she climbed the turnbuckle.

"_Oh boy … I hope you know what you're doing."_

Imitating her boyfriend, Camilla flew through the air with Matt's signature somersault leg drop and hit her target perfectly. She quickly went for the cover.

"1, 2, 3!"

And as quickly as it started, the match was over. The referee raised Camilla's arm in the air and Matthew beamed with pride from ringside. When she climbed through the ropes, Matt put her on his shoulders and walked her all the way up the ramp, celebrating yet another dominant element of Evolution. The crowd wasn't too happy, but the couple didn't really care. Batista, Hunter, and Randy were waiting behind the curtain to congratulate the seventeen-year-old rookie for her first win.

"Very impressive, Camilla. You'll have the women's strap before you know it", Hunter commented.

Dave showed a rare tender moment and gently hugged Camilla, while Randy was freaking out, albeit in a good way, over her use of his RKO.

"You pulled that off just as good as I did! And that leg drop … wow!"

"I think you meant to say 'You pulled that off better than I did!', Randy", Camilla retorted with a smirk on her face. "But now you should focus on your match. Eric and Cena aren't going to go down easily."

Randy grinned. "Cena won't be the problem; Eric will. But as soon as I hit the RKO, that belt …" he said, pointing at Matt's title. "… might as well be mine."

Matt yawned in response. "What were you saying? I thought I heard something."

The older Orton narrowed his eyes at his little brother. "Just … just shut up and move out of the way. I'm up next."

"Good luck! You're gonna need it!" Matt yelled as Randy went through the curtain.

"The following contest is the #1 contender's match for the Intercontinental Championship! Introducing first, from St. Louis, Missouri, weighing in at 245 pounds, Randy Orton!"

Randy posed and thought only of winning the match. Beating his little brother for that title was now #1 on his to-do list.

* * *

_Randy … in love?! And he asks his little brother for advice? Mwaha. Next chapter, we'll see the double date and see Randy's feelings unravel even more. _

_Camilla dominates her first match. Will she repeat her victory next week? _

_Matthew watches the #1 contender's match intently. Who does he want to win: Randy, Cena, or Eric? And will Matthew and Dave win their match against HBK and the Rock?_

_I really hope you liked it. Please critique me, guys! Let me know how I'm doing! Review! _

_SuspiciousInitials_


	28. Breakthrough

_Randy gets the opportunity to earn the chance to face his brother for the Intercontinental title. Then, Matt and Batista face off against the two #1 contenders for Hunter's title. Next, we'll go on a double date as Randy reveals more of his feelings._

_Inching closer and closer to WrestleMania! Hope you like it!_

* * *

The rest of Evolution walked back to their locker room, wanting to have a comfortable seat to watch Randy's match. Hunter and Dave walked ahead while Matt and Camilla, hands intertwined, lagged behind. 

"I'm really proud of you", Matt said to Camilla. "You dominated that match a kid stomping on some helpless little ants."

"Randy has a really versatile move; it can come out of nowhere and knock you out. Your move, on the other hand, takes a little bit of work to get the chance to pull it off."

"Oh, come on! I give you a compliment and you diss my finisher?"

"I'm not dissing it! I'm just telling you that Randy could easily take you out in a heartbeat."

"My MKO can do the same thing to him!"

"We'll see about that. I'm hoping Randy wins tonight so you two can finally see who the better Orton is."

"You're lookin' at him."

Camilla put a finger over Matt's lips. "Shut up and let's go watch the match."

On the way back to the locker room, John Cena turned the corner and walked into the Matthew's path. The two faced down each other, Matthew making sure to emphasize the belt around his waist. After an uneasy moment, Matt finally spoke up.

"Kick Randy's ass for me."

Cena smiled. "What? Too afraid to face your own brother?"

"Well … yeah. A little."

Both Camilla and John were a little stunned by this statement.

"I've acted all tough in his face before, but I really don't know if I can beat him. He's stronger than me, he's faster than me, he's got better moves than me …" Matthew glared at Camilla. " … He should have this belt and not me." Without saying another word, Matt walked off in the opposite direction, leaving Camilla and Cena with their jaws on the ground.

"What the hell got into him?" asked the rapper.

Camilla shrugged, quickly wished Cena good luck, and ran off to catch up with Matt. She found him sitting on a random table near the sound booth. Just as she ran up to him, Matt jumped down and started walking away.

"Wait! Matthew!"

She put a hand on his shoulder, but Matt snapped it away.

"I don't want to talk to you right now", Matt said in a very low and menacing voice.

"Matt! You can't just let one sentence destroy your confidence!"

"Listen. The only reason I have this belt is because I was in the Royal Rumble and Randy wasn't. If he was in it, he would have won and he would have had the title shot!"

"Matt, you won that title shot because you lasted all the way to the end from number three! You did what only a couple of others have done in the past. Hell, Flair entered from number three one year and won the whole damn thing! That belt is rightfully yours and you should be ready to face all challengers, **even if it **_**is**_** Randy!**"

A quite audible chuckle was heard behind the couple; they turned around to see Eric smirking.

"What the hell do you want?" asked a defiant Camilla.

"Little baby Orton doesn't want to face his big brother, huh? Little baby Orton doesn't think he deserves the title, huh?"

Camilla could see Matt start to shake in anger; he was balling his fists at his side.

"Little baby Orton …"

"**SHUT UP, ERIC!**" Matt's sudden words had a definite impact on the situation; Eric's grin was blown off his face and onto Camilla's, glad that Matt finally got his bearings back. "'Little baby Orton' beat _you_ at No Way Out, and the only way you can make yourself feel better is to …"

"_Make_ myself feel better? I don't need to make myself feel better. After I get done with your brother and Cena tonight, you'll be the one that'll need to feel better after I choke you out next week!"

Camilla didn't know whether or not to step in between the two men; she wanted to let Matt defend himself, but a fight out here in the hallway could lead to disaster. Just when Camilla thought the worst, Eric turned and headed to the ring. Camilla then eyed Matthew unhooking the Intercontinental belt; she reached out to stop him, but it was too late. Eric fell in a lump to the floor after Matt used the belt to whack him in the back of the head. Matt then began to stomp on the back of the head of the fallen DX member. Horrified, Camilla pulled her boyfriend off and quickly ushered him back to the locker room. Dave and Hunter looked at each other as Matt was forcefully pulled back through the door.

"What the hell?" Hunter stammered out. He looked down at Matt's belt, the front stained with blood. "What the hell happened?"

"Eric learned a goddamn lesson about the consequences of pissing me off." Matt threw the belt down and stormed off towards the bathroom.

"Fill us in on the details", Batista told Camilla calmly. She then began going into detail on how Matt reacted to her comments and Cena's question, and then talked about how Eric started to taunt, ultimately leading to Matt's brutal attack. At that time, Matt walked back into the room and sat down on a bench, head in his hands. Camilla sat down next him and put her hand around his back.

"Are you okay?"

Matthew didn't answer. He only looked up at the television, showing Randy with his arm raised in the air.

"_I have to beat him. There's no other way to get rid of this feeling. I can't let myself think like this for the rest of my career. But why am I so scared? Why can I fight with him at home, but not here in the ring? … Next week. Next week, Randy. I won't let myself be defeated."_

Without saying another word, Matt got up and ran out to the stage, belt in tow. He stood at the top of the entrance ramp and looked at his brother, the belt held high in his hand. Randy made a motion around his waist and pointed towards the belt in Matt's hand, but they both knew it was not about the title. This was about pride. Bragging rights. The approval of Dave and Hunter. Matt strolled down and got into the ring to stare his brother down. The crowd could sense the tension building, and brimmed with anticipation at a possible scuffle right then and there.

Matt said through gritted teeth, looking up into Randy's face, "You don't intimidate me. You're just another person I have to beat down to keep my gold. Now get out of my ring so I can have my match."

"Your ring? _Your_ ring? Matt, next week, I'll be wiping _my_ canvas with your unconscious body."

"I'd like to see you try. Before you know it, I'll be standing over you with the belt high above my head."

Batista's music hit and Randy finally took the hint. Randy walked up the ramp while Dave walked down it. Dave briefly congratulated Randy, and then joined Matt in the ring.

"Should be a good match next week", Batista said.

"The match of my life, believe me."

"And this one isn't? The Rock _and_ Shawn Michaels?"

Matt thought about it for a second, and then laughed. "Yeah. I guess it isn't."

The Rock made his way down to the ring after a very, very long Titantron intro, followed by the Heartbreak Kid. Although he said he wasn't that concerned, Matt did feel a tad nervous. He had been given Sweet Chin Music at the Royal Rumble and a Rock Bottom the previous week on RAW. He knew what to expect and had to make sure it didn't happen again.

Batista started off, staring right at the Rock. Dave was never scared, no matter whom he fought; Matthew, on the other hand, was still a little apprehensive about going up against two men he watched growing up. He tried to block it out by shifting his thought to other things on his mind.

"_I better watch my back. Randy may try to get me from behind and weaken me for next week. Maybe I need to get to him before he gets to me. And Camilla? Jeez. She's going to keep asking me and asking me and asking me … I want to marry her, but I don't know when the right time is_._"_ Matt sighed. _"What the hell am I gonna do? And what about this Evolution situation? Dave wants to join us, but when is the right time to mutiny? Goddamn politics…"_

"**ORTON!**"

Matt snapped out of his trance and saw Dave and the Rock on the ground, each crawling up to their corners. He reached out and manages to get the tag. Climbing in the ring, Matt ran over and pulled the Rock back just in time to keep him from tagging in Shawn. That didn't keep Shawn from getting in the ring, however, and he clotheslined Orton down. Matt got right back up and tossed HBK over the top rope, only to wander right into the Rock preparing for a Rock Bottom. Batista made the save however and clobbered the Rock in the back of the neck.

"You ready to try it?" Batista asked. Matthew nodded and climbed up to the turnbuckle while Dave prepared for a Batista Bomb. Matt could still see HBK knocked out on the floor and breathed a sigh of relief as the Rock was hoisted in the air. Matt adjusted his aim and launched himself in the air with a somersault leg drop just as Dave slammed Rocky down. Matt's leg landed right across the neck of the Great One and he went for the cover.

"1, 2, 3!"

"_Did I just do that?"_

"Here are your winners, Batista and Matthew Orton!"

"_Did I just pin the freaking __**Rock**__?!"_

Dave raised Matt's arm in the air, the younger Orton still in shock at what just transpired.

"Did I really just do that?"

"We beat 'em, Matt. We beat 'em", replied a proud Dave.

"Did you ever come up with a name for what we just did? Our tag finisher?"

"I call it 'Natural Selection'. What do you think?"

Matt took a second to think, and then chuckled. "Clever name. You and I should tag more often."

"Nah. You and I work together well, but you and your brother will be tag champs one day."

Dave and Matt stood at the top of the ramp, Matt holding the Intercontinental title high up in the air. Tonight was a milestone for him in the eyes of those backstage and behind the announcer's desk, but something more important, at least to Matt, was going to take place next week.

* * *

The whole of Wednesday wasn't that great for Matt. He kept looking over his shoulder for Randy all afternoon and locked himself up in his room after getting too paranoid. To try to calm his nerves, he put Kingdom Hearts back into the PlayStation 2 and tried to beat Oogie Boogie again. Yet while he was pounding buttons on the controller, Matt couldn't help but feel as if he was being watched. He paused the game and looked around the room for his brother. Sure enough, Matt spotted a pair of feet behind the curtain and remembered how Randy hid that way at a hotel one night. 

"_Not this time, bro."_

He reached behind the curtain and felt a hand grab his arm. Randy stepped out and twisted his brother's arm to immobilize him, sending Matt wincing to one knee.

"Randy! Randy, my shoulder! Owwwwwwwww!"

"Say uncle and I'll let go."

Matt shot a defiant look at Randy and realized what he was trying to prove. "Shove it, Randy."

Randy only increased the pressure, making Matthew scream out in pain. Matt now thought about what he valued more: his pride or his shoulder. Resolving to lose neither, he kicked his brother in the shin, making Randy let go. Matt clutched his shoulder and backed up against the wall to keep his brother in his sights.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Just messin' with you, Matt. Jeez, calm down. You know, the stuff brothers are supposed to do."

Matt breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the floor. "I'm sorry. I just keep thinking that you're gonna be around some random corner and beat me down to soften me up for next Monday."

"Heh … no, I wouldn't do something like that. I'm gonna beat you fair and square."

"Do we have to go through this every single time? _I'm_ going to beat you on Monday."

"You know you can't pin me, Matt. I'm bigger than you …"

"Yadda, yadda, yadda. I've heard that a million times. I honestly don't care about anything you have to say about the matter until next week."

"Why? It's not like you to retreat from a verbal spar."

Matt was too frustrated to hide it in from his brother any longer. "Listen. Randy, I really don't know if I can beat you. Not because you're stronger, bigger, or faster than I am. It's because you're my older brother. I look up to you, and … and …"

"You don't have to say anymore. I understand. Next week will be friendly competition, nothing more. The winner gets a belt, so what? I don't want you to feel like you're feeling right now. The stuff that happened yesterday was something that happened in the heat of the moment. You got in my face, I got in yours, we said a couple of words … no more. We're brothers. Stuff like this is supposed to happen."

Matt couldn't help but feel better. Randy always filled the role of big brother whenever he needed to flawlessly. The two sat down on the edge of the bed and Matt picked the PS2 controller back up. After an intense boss fight, he finally defeated the Halloween Town boss and raised his arms in triumph, inadvertently whacking Randy in the nose.

"Oh shit! I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

Randy held his nose and checked to make sure he wasn't bleeding, and then shoved Matt off the bed.

"What the hell? I said I was sorry!"

Randy did nothing but start to chuckle. With him holding his nose and Matt holding the back of his head, both of them ended up having a hardy laugh. Camilla poked her head in the room to see what the matter was.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing. I smacked Randy in the face, and then he shoved me off the bed."

"And that's funny?"

"Yeah, to us, at least", Randy replied.

Camilla shook her head in confusion. "Shouldn't you guys be getting ready? We need to pick up Torrie in about an hour to get to the restaurant."

"Nah. We still have time. We don't take forever to get dressed, unlike you."

Camilla shot Matt a look and left the room. The brothers gave each other a high five and Matthew continued on playing Kingdom Hearts. Randy watched on and decided to ask his little brother for more advice.

"What should I say to Torrie tonight?"

"Well … what do you _want_ to say to her?"

Randy paused for a moment, searching for a response, but couldn't come up with an answer.

"Okay … listen. If you think you're falling for her, tell her that. She's supposed to be cheery and helpful, right? She'll tell you how she feels and then, if she thinks there's something possible, you two can start working on it."

"But what if she doesn't feel the same way I do?"

Matthew looked at his brother, dumbfounded. "You're really lost with this sort of stuff, aren't you?"

"Yeah … I've never felt the same since …"

"Don't bring that up again. It'll just make you feel worse. Look on the positive side of things. Go in there tonight with some confidence … I can't believe I said that to _you_ of all people … and you should be fine."

Randy managed a smile and slapped Matt on the back. "Thanks."

"No need. That's what brothers are for."

* * *

After some confusion with meeting times and directions, it was decided that Torrie would meet Matthew, Camilla, and Randy at a local restaurant. Matt and Camilla sat hand in hand at the table while Randy was fidgeting with his fork. 

"Would you stop that? Now you're gonna make me nervous", Matt told his brother.

Randy put down the fork and started to mess with his glass of water, flicking the condensation every which way. Camilla pulled the water away from him to try to calm Randy down. However, the older Orton started to crumple and uncrumple his napkin over and over.

"Randy, now you're acting like a little kid! Stop it!"

Randy put down the napkin and sighed. "Look, I'm really having a hard time with this. Cut me some slack, ok?"

Matt and Camilla looked at each other and decided to leave Randy alone. Matt couldn't remember a time where his brother looked so shaken up. The waiter had already taken their appetizer order, and Torrie was nowhere to be seen. Before long, Matt and Camilla were snacking on fried mushrooms and calamari with Randy tapping his foot on the floor in anticipation, looking at the entrance every ten seconds. Finally, Randy's face lit up as Torrie walked in the front entrance. He waved his hand eagerly in the air to signal where they were sitting and the Smackdown diva walked over to the table. Torrie received a hug from Camilla, a handshake from Matthew, and a nervous kiss on the cheek from Randy.

The night went on rather uneventfully, with the entrées getting to the table rather quickly. The silence hanging over the foursome bothered Camilla, and she endeavored to break it.

"So, Torrie, when did you first meet Randy?"

Randy looked up in anxiousness and waited for Torrie's response.

"Well, I congratulated him on his first victory on Smackdown way back in April. After a couple of days, Randy called me; we spent some time together and got to know each other. He was especially excited about finding you, Matt. I loved it when his face lit up every time he mentioned you; he looked so cute!"

Matt stifled a chuckle, and Randy threw a piece of a breadstick at him.

"Torrie …", Randy began. Matt and Camilla looked at each other in anticipation at what could come out of Randy's mouth. "… Torrie, I know we're good friends, and I really enjoy being around with you."

A small pause filled the air and all four hearts were beating at ninety miles per hour.

After a big sigh, Randy finished his thought. "Is there any connection between us? You know, a chance to be more than just friends?"

Torrie appeared stunned for a moment, and then relaxed into a big smile. "Randy … I feel the same way."

To Matt and Camilla, it looked as if a huge burden had been lifted off Randy's shoulders. They hugged each other and smiled as Randy and Torrie kissed each other deeply.

* * *

_Matt and Dave managed to pull off an upset victory over Triple H's sworn enemies. Will they continue to build momentum heading into WrestleMania?_

_Matt's extremely happy for Randy, who has moved on to another stage in his life when it comes to love. Can Randy keep his act together? _

_Who will win the Intercontinental title match next week on RAW: Matt or Randy?_

_All this and more next episode. Keep reading! And please let me know how I'm doing! _

_SuspiciousInitials_


	29. Peace of Mind

_We'll start out with Eric reflecting on the past. Then, one week before Matthew's eighteenth birthday, the brothers must go through one more obstacle: facing each other on RAW. Who will come out the victor? _

_Let's see how this chapter turns out. Hope you enjoy reading it!_

* * *

It was late Sunday night and Eric was walking through downtown Dallas, breathing in the crisp night air. He couldn't stand staying in the hotel room anymore; Shawn and Jeff were goofing off a little bit too much for his liking. Eric sat down on a park bench and looked up at the clear night sky. He could make out a constellation or two in the sky, despite the lights from the city. 

"_This sucks. Shawn and Jeff may have my back, but I still feel like I'm alone every week. I miss having my best friend."_

Eric thought back to his high school days and the eating contests he would have with Matthew when they would go out to eat after the big game. Everyone else on the team would laugh when they ended up puking their guts out.

"_Hell, he was the closest thing I had to a brother…but now …"_

Eric then thought about Randy. When Eric realized that Matt had found out he had a brother, it seemed as if Matt was slowly forgetting about him. Was the reason Eric left Evolution because he was jealous about Randy?

"_Randy replaced me. Well, of course he did; I couldn't help Matt wanting to get to know his brother after not seeing him for sixteen years. I couldn't stand the thought of losing my best friend … so I left him before he officially shoved me away. Goddammit. I'm such an asshole. And now I'm in a hole I can't climb out of: there's no way Triple H would let me back and Evolution, and Matthew seems to hate me now."_

Eric rubbed the back of his head, remembering Matt's brutal attack last week.

"_He only did that because I egged him on. Matt didn't mess our friendship up. I did."_

Eric got up and started walking back to the hotel. The only person he had to blame for the position he was in was himself. The only possible way he could think of rejoining Evolution was to turn on Shawn and Jeff to try to get on Triple H's good side.

"_But what good is that? Turning my back on two more of my friends just to get back one? No … not again. I'm already too deep in this."_

Sighing, the youngest DX member stood up and started walking back to his hotel room. Upon reaching the front door of the hotel, Eric literally ran into someone.

"Oh jeez … sorry …"

Eric froze as he looked up; Matthew was standing straight in front of him. The two looked at each other in the eyes, wondering who was going to make the first move. Eric thought about throwing a punch, but decided against it, walking by Matt.

"What? Are you chicken?"

Eric stopped, looking down at the ground. "I don't want to fight you."

Matthew was a bit confused. "Even after you provoked me last week? Even after you bled at my hands!? Where's that cockiness you used to have, huh?"

"Matt, what I did last week was stupid. That cockiness I had last week is gone. Listen, I can't stand doing this week after week. This hostility between us is pointless. We were **best** friends! I know we're on opposite teams now, but can we at least coexist?!"

A moment of silence filled the air, Matt not sure how to respond to Eric's comment.

"I know what I did was wrong. The only reason I left Evolution was because I was scared you were forgetting about me!"

"Forgetting about you? What the hell do you mean?"

"You and Randy were spending more time together. I … I thought Randy would replace me."

Matt stood wide-eyed at Eric. "Randy would have never replaced you. It's just … sure, I may have spent more time with my brother, but you would too if you had found out you had a brother that you didn't know about your whole life!"

"I know, I know. I didn't think about that then. And to avoid you hurting me, I had to do something to you. It shouldn't have happened. I'm sorry."

Another small silence. Eric turned around to walk back into the hotel, but Matt stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, Eric saw Matt outstretching his hand. For the first time that night, Eric smiled as he accepted the handshake. The two embraced and slapped each other on the back, the hostility gone for the first time in weeks.

"You know this doesn't completely change things, right?"

"I know. You're in Evolution. I'm in DX. I'm gonna do what I have to do."

"You know I'm not going to hold back either."

"You gonna give me a shot at that title?"

"Yeah. It's the least I can do after last Monday."

"That's only if you beat Randy tomorrow night."

"_If?_ Change that to _when_. Randy's coming nowhere near my title."

The two smiled and walked in opposite directions, Matthew walking out of the hotel to get some drinks and Eric going back up to join Shawn and Jeff. They may become enemies once again in the ring, but one other thing was certain.

They were friends again.

After Matt made a couple of purchases at a local convenience store, he lugged two six-packs of root beer up to the room, where Camilla and Randy were watching television.

"Took you long enough! Put them on ice. The pizza'll be here in 10 minutes."

Matt chuckled. "You ordered pizza again? Don't you two get sick of the stuff?"

"No!" Camilla responded. "You shouldn't be complaining! You eat at least a whole one by yourself every time we get it!"

"Well, since it's the only thing we ever get, of course I'll eat it!"

"Just shut up and watch TV", Randy spurted out. Matthew shot his brother a look and started planning a way to get him in a sleeper hold. Matt started putting the root beer in a small ice chest when he had a funny feeling overcome him. Spinning around, Matt saw Randy creeping up behind him.

"Don't even _think_ about it."

"Okay, okay. I'll get you tomorrow night."

"_Oh, boy. Here we go._ I'm not gonna start this now."

"What? Too afraid?"

That lit a fire under Matt. He locked his arms around the arms of the chair to prevent him from getting up; anger was starting to take control of him. Ignoring Randy, Matt went back to putting the root beer in the ice. Suddenly, his back became very cold. Shooting up to his feet, Matt reached into the back of his shirt and pulled out a fistful of ice cubes.

Matt then snapped.

He turned around and tackled Randy to the ground, then lifted a fist up into the air. Camilla caught him before he could slam it in the side of Randy's face and dragged him backwards. Matt's face was incredibly red, and Camilla struggled to keep Matt restrained. She finally slapped him, which instantly calmed the younger man down. Randy stood back up.

"Matt, what the hell?! I'm just joking with you, goddamn! Can't you take a little rib every now and then?"

"It … it's this goddamn match. We've gone through this already." Matt sat back down in the chair and sighed. "I'll just be glad when this is over."

Camilla tried to offer advice. "Matt, you knew coming into this that would you eventually have to face Randy. Why didn't you prepare yourself for this?"

"To be truthful, I honestly thought this day would never come. I thought we would be tag team partners from the start. But when Randy separated his shoulder and I debuted on Smackdown alone … I took on a completely different state of mind. Looking back, I wish I wasn't in the Royal Rumble. I would have never gotten that shot at the Intercontinental belt and I wouldn't be in this situation."

Randy responded. "Matt, we're brothers, but we're not going to be a permanent tag team. If I recall, no tag team has ever coexisted forever. Look at the Hardys! You even helped Jeff eliminate Matt at the Rumble! When we do tag together, Matt, we kick ass. But you can't go on thinking that I'm gonna take getting stuck in the tag division forever! Hell, you shouldn't either! You should be proud of that title and do everything in your power to keep it! Don't get me wrong; I'm going to do everything in _my_ power to take that from you. If we ever get a crack at the tag titles, Matt, I'd be happy to go for it with you. But for now, you should focus on defending that strap!"

Camilla was a little taken aback; Randy had his "big brother" moments, but this one was more emotional than the others. She thought it would take something like this to set Matthew straight, and indeed it did. Matt hugged his brother and apologized.

"Tomorrow night, then?"

"Tomorrow night."

There was a knock at the door. The pizza had finally arrived.

* * *

Camilla walked back into the locker room, fresh off her win against Jazz. She won via submission, using the same Sharpshooter she used to make Matthew tap out. Upon entering, Matt greeted her with a congratulatory kiss. The rest of Evolution handed out congratulations as well, and Camilla went to change. The big match was next on the card, and the brothers pumped fists and walked to the entrance together. 

Randy said one last thing to Matt before stepping out onto the stage. "Good luck. You're going to need it."

Evolution's theme song began to play and Randy made his entrance.

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and it is for the Intercontinental Championship! Introducing the challenger, from St. Louis, Missouri, weighing 245 pounds, Randy Orton!"

After climbing in the ring and posing, Randy stood in the center, bouncing around on his feet. _"That belt will soon be __**mine**__."_

"Introducing his opponent, from San Antonio, Texas, weighing 239 pounds, he is the Intercontinental Champion, Matthew Orton!"

Matt discarded his usual pose and only lifted the belt high up in the air. Upon getting into the ring, Matt stood toe-to-toe with Randy and lifted the belt in the air again.

"This belt is mine."

"You wish."

The belt was given to the referee and the brothers went to opposite corners. All it took was the bell to ring for an all-out brawl to start. Randy and Matt exchanged right hands, with Matt finally getting the upper hand after punching Randy in the stomach. Whipping Randy to a corner, Matt ran straight at him for a splash, but Randy moved out of the way. The turnbuckle impacted Matt's chest, impairing his breath. When he turned around, it looked like the match would be over; Randy was in position for the RKO and Matt was stumbling right into it. Matt regained his senses in the nick of time and pushed his brother away.

Randy smiled, mildly impressed. Matt clutched his chest, but was ready to fight. The two grappled with Randy using his strength and arm length to overpower Matt. He lifted Matt up in the air and slammed him down with a backbreaker on his knee. Clutching his back now, Matt rolled out of the ring to try to catch a break. The crowd booed some, split between supporting either brother. Matt looked up to see Randy smiling and motioning for him to hop back into the ring. Angered, Matt dived back in and swiped at Randy's knee, bringing him down to the ground. Thinking quickly, Matt grabbed Randy's legs and locked in a Texas Cloverleaf.

In the back, Camilla recognized the similarities to the Sharpshooter, but cringed as she felt the additional stretching of Randy's abdomen herself; she knew it hurt like hell. Batista and Triple H were also watching the monitor, not sure who to cheer for.

Randy winced; the pain was quickly adding up and becoming unbearable. He used all of what he had left in his upper body to drag himself to the ropes, but Matt was wise enough to drag Randy back to the middle of the ring. The older Orton was fading fast, but in a last ditch effort, he started shifting his weight to the side, back and forth. This tripped up Matthew, making him let go. Randy quickly crawled over to the bottom rope to prevent Matt from locking in the hold again. Matt looked down at his brother and signaled for the MKO, getting a mixed reaction from the crowd. He started to pick Randy up, but Randy held the bottom rope tightly. After a couple of stiff kicks to the lower back, Matt managed to lift Randy up to his feet. Soon enough, Randy was raised high in the air and slammed down to the mad, his head impacting the canvas.

Dave, Hunter, and Camilla cringed and started clapping; the match would be over soon. Matt conquered his demons and kept the title away from his brother. It was all a done deal as Matthew went for the cover.

"1, 2, …"

But Randy kicked out.

Matt was stunned.

The rest of Evolution couldn't believe it.

The audience was going completely bonkers.

J.R. and the King were speechless.

The referee signaled to the timekeeper that it was indeed only a two count and the match continued.

"_How … how the hell … how the hell did he kick out?!"_ Matt felt like he got the wind knocked out of him. His strongest move … and it didn't work. Randy got his shoulder up somehow. He couldn't think of anything left in his arsenal until he looked at the turnbuckle. Randy was in prime position, lying in the middle of the ring. Matt started to climb up top, preparing himself for his signature leg drop. While turning around, Matt felt the rope start to move violently, causing him to lose his balance.

Everyone groaned at the result, and Matt was in the worst kind of pain a man could be in. Randy had shaken the top rope while trying to get up and saw _his _opportunity. With Matthew doubling over, Randy walked over to the corner and grabbed Matt by the neck.

Camilla instantly knew what Randy was planning. She gripped the bench she was sitting on tightly and braced for impact as Randy dragged Matt off the turnbuckle in an RKO. Both men were now down on the ground, Matthew not moving and Randy still dizzy from the earlier MKO. Randy crawled over to his brother, flipped him on his back, and went for the cover.

"1, 2, …"

Matthew didn't kick out, but the referee stopped counting. Randy was confused, but the ref pointed to Matt's leg on the bottom rope. He could see Matt starting to stir, and tried to formulate some sort of an attack plan. Randy gasped a bit when he saw a trickle of blood running down Matt's forehead onto the mat.

"_It's time to end this."_

Randy walked over and locked in a sleeper hold, squeezing out what little consciousness Matt had left in him. Matt tried to struggle, flailing his left arm around a bit, but it wasn't anything close to what he would need to break out of the hold. Matt could see the crowd start to get blurry, the cheers started to fade away, and everything started to go black. The referee raised Matt's arm to see if he was conscious once … then again … and a final time.

"Here is your winner, and the **new** Intercontinental Champion, Randy Orton!"

Randy was given the belt, but hastily threw it down to attend to his brother. He wiped the blood off Matt's forehead and tried to revive him.

"Matt! **MATT!**"

Matt thought he could hear someone calling his name and opened his eyes. The man in front of him looked familiar, but he couldn't quite recall his name. As his vision came into focus, Matt saw his brother looking down at him. Randy helped Matt up and the whole crowd rose to their feet to applaud the two men, both for the fact that Matt was okay and for the incredible match that just took place.

"Are you okay?"

"… I will be."

Matt picked up the Intercontinental belt, took one last look at it and handed it to his brother. Randy graciously accepted it and lifted up in the air, to the applause of nearly everyone in the building. His other arm was raised in the air not by the ref, but by Matthew himself. Randy noticed Matthew getting a second wind, all because of the end of the match.

"_I'm proud of ya, Matt."_

The two walked back up the ramp to Evolution's theme song. One last time, Randy held the belt high at the top, Matthew applauding the victory of his older brother.

* * *

Matt woke up early Wednesday morning, rubbing his eyes and nearly falling out of bed. It was 5:30 in the morning, and he wanted to get the jump on the crowds at the water park. They had taken a short plane ride to San Antonio, where Smackdown was taping. They would quickly pick up Torrie and head off to Schlitterbahn. Camilla slowly started to stir, and the two prepared for the trip to New Braunfels. While pulling a shirt on, Matt noticed Randy still asleep, hugging the Intercontinental belt like it was a teddy bear. Camilla noticed Matt smiling and commented. 

"You seem happy. You're not bitter for losing the belt?"

"Bitter? Nah. I'll get my chance at the title again. I'm just happy that it's all over. Randy won, my stress is all gone … I feel like a new person."

"But don't you want the belt back _now_?"

"Not immediately. Now that I can focus on other things, I want to get back to some unfinished business."

"Unfinished business? With DX?"

"No. I finished my business with them last night. Or with Eric anyway. I ran into him when I was getting the root beer."

Camilla looked frightened. "What did you do to him!?"

Matt laughed. "Nothing. Call it reconciliation. We don't dislike each other anymore."

"Then who is your 'unfinished business' with?"

"You'll see. I'll make an announcement on RAW. I want to end this at WrestleMania."

Camilla looked frustrated; it wasn't like Matthew to keep secrets on matters such as this. Camilla went into the restroom to put her bathing suit on, and Matt quickly changed into his trunks. With only 20 minutes until their departure and Randy still asleep, Matt pushed his brother off the bed.

"Hey! …. What the hell?!"

"Get up, sleepy head! Get your trunks on and hurry up. We're gonna be late to pick up Torrie."

"Oh, shit! Right! Uh … hold on."

Randy sprung into action and got ready in less than a minute.

"You know your shirt's on backwards, right?"

"No, it isn't! … Wait …" He pulled it off and quickly turned it around. "There."

"Idiot." Matt made sure he had the sunscreen and the towels packed into the bag, and then knocked on the bathroom door. "Are you ready, Camilla?"

The door opened and Matt's jaw dropped to the floor. Camilla was wearing a gold-colored bikini top with a similarly colored short skirt-covered bottom. Matt was stunned, failing to find words to describe what he was thinking. For Camilla, Matt's reaction was descriptive enough. Taking their bags down to the lobby, the three got into a rented car and drove off to Torrie's hotel. Matt and Camilla sat in the back to allow Torrie to sit next to Randy. When she got in the car, Torrie kissed Randy, which seemed to make Randy's already great morning even better.

After a short car ride, the two couples got out of the car to find the front gate closed, and no one forming a line. Matt looked at his watch and winced.

"Maybe waking up so early wasn't a good idea. The park doesn't open for another two hours."

"Dammit, Matt! I could be sleeping right now!", Randy replied.

"The only thing you would be doing is hugging that belt and sucking on your thumb. You two (speaking to Torrie and Camilla) should have seen him; he was clutching onto that belt like it was an old stuffed animal and he was sucking on his thumb like a little baby."

Randy's face became red as a beet as Torrie and Camilla started to double over laughing. Matt smirked and turned around to take the sunscreen out of his backpack. He instantly regretted doing so. Randy had his arm quickly around Matt's neck. Torrie tried to restrain Randy, but Camilla pulled her away.

"Let them be. They do this all the time."

"What?"

"Yeah. Every time they get on each other's nerves, they choke each other out. It's actually really funny to watch sometimes."

Torrie was a little confused, but she backed off. Randy had Matt on one knee already, but Matt fought back with a stiff elbow to the gut. Randy let go and Matt put his back against a wall to rest.

"That's twice now!"

"But you didn't do it when it counted most."

Matt's grin was erased and his mouth shut very quickly. He pulled out the sunscreen and started to apply some on himself, tossing the bottle to Camilla. As they waited there at the front gate, other people started to arrive. Naturally, some people recognized the foursome; they had signed what seemed like an enormous amount of autographs before the park opened. Matt paid for all four of them and they strolled inside.

"Jeez … this place is huge!", Randy exclaimed, marveling at the size of the park.

"And this isn't all of it. There's a whole other half of the park you have to take a tram to. The big wave pool is there along with the best water coaster in the country."

"Wave pool?!" Torrie asked. "I'm there! Let's take that tram!"

Matt got the feeling that they would spend the whole day at the wave pool, but he didn't care. The four loaded up on the first tram to the second half of the park. Matt looked at Randy's back and tapped his brother on the shoulder.

"Don't forget, you've got to take me to get those tattoos after this."

"Oh … shoot. Yeah, sure."

"What? You forgot?"

"Well … yeah. I was looking forward to this trip too much, it kinda slipped my mind."

"Then when the hell are you taking me?"

"Calm down! Jeez … I'll call the guy on the way home and set up an appointment."

The tram came to a stop and everyone got off. Torrie and Randy walked slowly to the wave pool while Camilla and Matthew darted off to the tower to get to the front of the line for the Master Blaster. Matt knew, from experience, that the wait could get as long as two hours and didn't want a repeat. Their efforts were mildly successful; only a handful of park goers made it in front of them. Camilla turned around to face Matt.

"Remember when we rode this for the first time?"

"Yeah … our first real date."

While they moved up to the head of the line, Camilla hugged onto Matthew tightly. She didn't really want to let go, trying to send a hint to her boyfriend. Matt got the hint, alright; as a matter of fact, he got several hints every day. He definitely had a plan though. The two took their two-seater tube, climbed in, and rocketed off on the ride.

Meanwhile, Randy and Torrie were sitting comfortably in their inner tubes, enjoying the motion of the wave pool. The two talked about hobbies, music, movies … but everything still seemed like pointless banter to Randy.

"Torrie … I want to tell you something. Ever since we first met …"

"Randy, I know what you're going to say to me."

"You do?"

"Yes. Randy, you're a sweet guy. You have that boyish charm. Something that most of the other guys don't have. On the surface, you're cocky and stubborn, but you've got a squishy inside; you're kind and a real gentleman. It's like you're a completely different person outside the arena."

Torrie's speech was interrupted by a stream of water someone shot from a nearby water cannon. Randy started to laugh and Torrie followed suit.

"See? That's what I mean. Randy, that's what I admire in a guy. I … I think I'm falling for you too."

Randy was completely blown away by this statement. He really didn't expect Torrie to have the same feelings, even after that night at the restaurant.

"Do you really think this is possible?"

"Why are you having doubts?"

"I don't know. I never pictured myself in this kind of situation ever again."

"Again? What do you mean?"

Randy then went into detail about that fateful night back in high school. Torrie covered her mouth in surprise, and she slipped out of her inner tube to give Randy a hug. For that one moment, Randy felt complete again. All his sorrow washed away. That huge emotional burden on his shoulders was lifted. At that moment, Randy knew.

He had found the one.

* * *

_Ah, love is in the air. Randy wins the title and thinks he has found his soulmate. How will Randy and Torrie develop their relationship further?_

_And what is Matt's plan? This 'unfinished business' … who is it with?_

_When next Monday rolls around, Randy receives news of the date of his first title defense. Who will it be against and when will it be?_

_The next chapter should be a big one! Hope you liked this one! Don't forget to review and let me know how I'm doing!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	30. A Question

_Randy thinks he's in love and Matt thinks he has a plan concerning his proposal to Camilla._

_But are they sure?_

* * *

Matt and Camilla appeared at the exit of the Master Blaster, just above Randy and Torrie, who were just floating by at that moment. 

"Get your butts down here!", Randy yelled out.

Matt and Camilla looked at each other and smiled. Randy saw them scurry off and rested his head against the back of his tube, holding Torrie's hand. To him, it wasn't just a physical connection; it was a spiritual connection as well.

"_I haven't felt like this since … I mean … does Matt feel like this when he's with Camilla? I've had little crushes over the years, but none of them evolved into a feeling __**this**__ strong. Could this really be t…"_

A large volley of water smashed right in Randy's face, interrupting his thoughts. He looked up to see Matt doubling over laughing at the controls of one of the water cannons. Camilla was giggling and even Torrie was trying to stifle laughter.

"**I'm going to get you, you little prick!**" Randy struggled out of his tube and started powering out of the water. Matt took off in the opposite direction and ran towards the tram, dodging around other tourists and patrons. Matt froze when he saw that the tram wasn't there and quickly dove into a large set of bushes near the boarding area. Peeking out, Matt saw Randy sprinting down the walkway towards him. At the same time, the tram was just arriving and Matt snuck into the line to board. Randy was looking around frantically, his face inflamed with redness. After a short wait, Matt managed to climb on the tram and take a seat at the back. Randy looked defeated as Torrie and Camilla finally caught up to him.

"He … just … disappeared", Randy said, out of breath.

A knocking sound came from the back of the tram as it was pulling away. They all looked up to see Matt waving with a smirk on his face. Torrie and Camilla held Randy back, who wanted to run up and catch the tram, but it was too late.

"We'll just get on the next one back", Torrie advised. "It's not going to be long anyway. You can wait."

Randy instantly calmed down, something Camilla was surprised at. It seemed that Torrie had that special ability to cool off Randy in a matter of seconds. She smiled, thinking that the two could really work as a couple. About 10 minutes later, the tram made it back to the boarding area. Randy, Camilla, and Torrie hopped onboard, and, to their surprise, Matthew was still on it.

"Looks like I can still out run you!"

Randy walked straight up to his brother, looking him straight in the eye. Matt got up and went toe-to-toe with him.

"Admit it. I got the best of you that time."

Randy replied through gritted teeth, "You better treasure your little moment, because I _will _get you back."

"Then we have another race. Remember that slide above the front gate? You and me. We'll race down that thing."

Randy smiled. "You're on."

Torrie and Camilla sat down next to each other, Torrie still in shock at what almost turned into a fight. Camilla laughed and comforted her.

"If you're going to be with Randy, you better get used to this sort of stuff."

On the way to the first half of the park, Matt and Randy kept bickering at each other, trying to one-up each comment they had for one another. Torrie began to lighten up and actually began to giggle along with Camilla as the tram made its way down the streets to the front gate of the first half of the park. Matt and Randy quickly hopped off and made their way to the line, still giving each other short little insults and quips. Soon enough, Matt and Randy were at the top of the slide.

"Last one down buys lunch!"

"You better have plenty of money in that wallet then!"

Another voice interrupted the conversation. "Hey … aren't you the Ortons?"

Matt and Randy looked at each other and laughed. The attendant standing at the top of the slide had recognized them and dug out an autograph book for both of them to sign. Randy signed it, and then tossed both the pen and book over to Matt. However, as Matt was signing it, Randy took the opportunity and slid down early.

"That little …"

Matt hastily finished, tossed the book to the attendant, and took off in pursuit, but it was too late. Randy was at the finish before Matt was even halfway down the slide. As Matt arrived, Randy was immediately in his face.

"Let's see … I'll have one of everything on the menu, please."

"You better not … don't even _think_ about it."

Randy only smirked as he walked off to the food area. Torrie and Camilla came up behind Matt to console him.

"You guys aren't gonna order one of everything, are you?"

"Us? No … we have to watch our figures, remember?"

"Tell that to Randy then. He may gain ten pounds."

The three of them then walked over behind Randy in line. Matt winced as he saw the electronic display; his brother had racked up $40 worth of food already.

"Dammit, Randy. Are you really going to eat all that?"

"Why the hell wouldn't I?"

"Don't blame me then if you're miserable for the rest of the day." Matt bought a funnel cake for himself and two corn dogs, one for each of the girls. At a nearby table, Randy started tearing through all of his food, munching down a hamburger and curly fries quickly while starting on two hot dogs. Matt, Camilla, and Torrie eyed him strangely; they looked at him, then at their own food, and could hardly take a bite. Akin to his word, Randy shoved down the last bit of his turkey leg, leaving only the bone on his plate.

"Ughhhhhh …"

"I told you! Idiot…"

"Just give me a minute, I'll … I'll …" At that moment, Randy got up and sprinted over to the bathroom, struggling to keep his food down. Matt and Camilla shook their heads in disapproval while Torrie started laughing.

"I think he may be in there a while. I hope he learns his lesson", Torrie stated.

"Randy never learns lessons. And frankly, neither do I", replied Matt.

"At least you have a sense of wit about you. Randy's such a goof. That's part of the reason why I like him so much."

"What's the rest of the reason?"

"Well, I guess it's the fact that, underneath all that cockiness and hard shell exterior, he's really got a soft spot. Compared to everyone else in the back, there's no one like him. He has a _gorgeous_ smile too."

Matt put his arm around Camilla and she put her head on his shoulder. Torrie could see that the two loved each other; she could only wonder when Matt would pop the question.

"_But will Randy one day? Matt's a mature person, even though he's only eighteen. Randy's twenty-two … but he's still a kid inside. And with what happened to him that night at his prom … will he ever be able to love?"_

Torrie's mind kept pondering on the subject as Randy came back to the table and sat down next to Matt, who could smell something putrid on his brother's breath. He reached in his backpack full of stuff and pulled out a piece of gum and a pack of breath mints.

"Here. Do us all a favor."

Randy shot a look at Matt before begrudgingly taking the mints and gum offered to him. The guys stayed at the table while Torrie and Camilla went to ride one of the tube chutes.

"We talked."

Matt was confused. "You and Torrie? About what?"

"We both think we're falling for each other."

"You _think_ you're falling for one another?"

"Yeah. That's the way it started out between you two, right?"

"I guess." Matt held back on the comment he was going to make. "You two have to start somewhere, right?"

Randy nodded and the pair caught up to their counterparts in line.

"_I really hope he's right about this. The last thing Randy needs is for his heart to be broken again."_

* * *

The opening pyro for RAW had just finished, and Matt was quickly making his way to the entrance ramp. It felt funny without the Intercontinental belt around his waist, but he didn't really care about it anymore, at least not for the moment. Coming around the corner to the sound booth, he saw Eric Bischoff standing behind the curtain, apparently ready to make some sort of an announcement; he had a microphone in his hand. 

"Mr. Bischoff!"

Bischoff turned around and smiled; it was rare that someone called him "Mr." and he wanted to savor the moment.

"I need to call out someone tonight. Right now."

"Why should I let you? I've had more of my fair share of trouble from you and your Evolution buddies."

"What if I tell you that you might get a match that'll steal the WrestleMania spotlight from Smackdown and keep it right here on RAW?"

Bischoff smirked. "What did you have in mind?"

Matt took a moment to explain his challenge to the General Manager. As Matt continued talking, the smirk on Bischoff's face grew larger. Matt was overjoyed when Bischoff handed him the microphone. The sound guy switched the music to Evolution's music, which instantly started to play, much to the surprise of the rest of the group back in the locker room; Matt had said he had forgotten something in the limo. Camilla's heart fluttered.

"_Could it be tonight?"_

Matt climbed into the ring to a relatively warm welcome from the fans. Of all of Evolution's members, he was the least disliked. Matt smiled and pointed to the one 'MKO' sign in the crowd before starting his speech.

"Just this past week, I hit a milestone. No … it wasn't losing _my_ Intercontinental title to my brother."

The crowd booed somewhat; the fans here weren't exactly fond of Randy. Matt hoped emphasizing "my" would get Randy irritated.

"On Wednesday, I had my eighteenth birthday. I'm not a kid anymore. I … am … a **man**."

Hunter held back laughter, while Randy, Dave, and Camilla all gave him strange looks.

"And to prove that I can step up and hang with the guys backstage, to prove that my Intercontinental title reign wasn't a fluke, I'm going to look back on some unfinished business that I have. I started something, and I am going to put an end to it. I'm going to look my opponent in the eye and …"

The crowd went wild when Basic Thuganomics started blaring over the speakers and John Cena walked down to the ring.

"Yo, yo, yo! Look, dawg, if all you wanted was to throw down, I'm game! I've been wantin' a rematch since our bout on Smackdown!"

"Cena, cut the crap. As a matter of fact, I wasn't referring to you. I was referring to …"

"**BREAK IT DOWN!**"

Matt looked down at the canvas in frustration while DX's theme song began to play and Eric Barringer joined the conversation.

"Matt … I really don't think I have to say anything. I know you've been wanting to settle this for a long time now and …"

"Eric, goddammit, I'm not talking about you either!" Matt stepped past him and grabbed the top rope in anger. "Get your ass out here …"

"Line in the Sand" began to play again, and Randy stepped out onto the stage this time, holding the Intercontinental belt high in the air. The older Orton stepped into the ring to a chorus of boos and stared down his brother, who looked extremely agitated.

"So is this about a rematch, little bro? Do you want another chance at _**my**_ title?"

"_Well, it __**did**__ get him mad_ … Randy, rest assured, I will get my rematch for that belt, but I wasn't talking to you either. Now, if you three are finished …"

**BOOM!**

The whole arena turned red and a burst of fire emanated from the stage. Kane made his way down to the ring, and, for the first time that night, Matt actually had a smile on his face. Randy looked at his brother like he was a madman; this was the _last _person he thought Matthew wanted to challenge. Randy, John, and Eric backed off to a corner of the ring while Kane and Matt went toe-to-toe.

"If you recall, Kane, I pissed you off. You chokeslammed me on a chair, and I smacked you from behind with a lead pipe. Then we stepped inside Hell in a Cell."

The crowd cheered at hearing the infamous words and they saw where this was going. The other three men in the ring figured it out as well, and they all looked at each other in shock.

"WrestleMania. You and me. We finish this in Hell … in … a **CELL!**"

Kane did nothing but nod his head. But to spoil the occasion, Bischoff's music hit, and the General Manager walked out onto the stage.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Remember, **I** am the GM around here, and **I **make the matches. Now, as I was going to say before I was so rudely interrupted, I _do_ have a couple of matches to make. First, for WrestleMania, it will be …"

The crowd anticipated the Hell in a Cell match, but something else came out of Bischoff's mouth.

"… Randy Orton defending his newly won Intercontinental title against the two men behind him, John Cena and Eric Barringer, in a Triple Threat match!"

Randy was dismayed at the news; he looked back at John and Eric and gave them looks of intimidation and anger. They saw right through Randy's guise and laughed it off.

"Then, also at WrestleMania, it _will_ be Kane versus Matthew Orton, indeed, in **HELL IN A CELL!** But! But that's not all! You see, all five of you will be in action tonight! In that very ring, we'll have a twist of WrestleMania opponents. First, we'll have the elder Orton against Kane!"

Randy froze.

"_You've got to be kidding me."_

"And then, in a handicap match, the younger Orton will be facing the team of Cena and Barringer!"

Matthew froze.

"_Two against one? Good lord."_

After everyone stared everyone down, Matt and Randy slipped out of the ring and headed back to the locker room. As they returned, Camilla was about to step out of the room, fully clad in her ring gear.

"Where are you going? You don't have a match tonight."

"Yes, I do … moron. It's against both Victoria and Jazz. The winner gets a shot at the Women's title at WrestleMania. If I win tonight, we'll all be on the road to the biggest show in our lives."

"How the hell did I not know about this?"

"I don't have to tell you everything, you know."

Camilla started walking towards the ring, leaving Matthew behind, confused and bewildered by her comment. Randy saw that look on his brother's face and backed off, seeing him give chase.

"What the hell was that supposed to mean?"

"If you are going to keep secrets from me, I'm going to start keeping secrets from you."

"Secrets? What secrets?"

"When the hell are you going to ask me, Matt?! There's no reason you should be waiting! I know you love me and you know I love you! You told me you were ready, but if you won't ask me, you _aren't ready!_"

Camilla stormed off towards the ring again. Matt stood there in dejection and walked slowly back to the locker room. Randy tried speaking to him, but Matt just walked past him, his head hanging down. Matt sat down next to his duffel bag and pulled out the ring. Opening the box, he stared at the small sapphire-clad ring that he bought for Camilla.

"_Is she right? Am I not ready? All I wanted to do was wait for WrestleMania…"_

Randy tried again to talk to his brother, but Matt wouldn't respond at all.

"_If he's gonna have doubts … god, what is this going to do to me? Part of the reason I think I'm in love is because they're in love …"_

For the next ten minutes, Matt focused on the ring, not taking his eyes off it. Meanwhile, Randy joined Hunter and Dave in watching the monitor. Victoria and Jazz were double teaming Camilla, getting their revenge. However, Camilla pulled an MKO out of nowhere on Victoria, and delivered an RKO to Jazz.

"1, 2, 3!"

Matt heard the announcer say Camilla's name and snapped the ring box shut. Getting up, he walked out of the locker room, ignoring the questions of the rest of Evolution. His eyes were fixed in front of him as he approached the sound booth.

"I need a microphone", Matt told the sound guy.

"Another one? Why?"

"Just give it to me!"

Not wanting to earn anymore of Matt's ire, the sound guy quickly tossed a microphone to him. Matt stepped out onto the stage as Camilla was backing up the ramp, raising her arms in the air in triumph and making a belt motion around her waist. Right as she was going to back into Matthew, she turned around and stopped upon seeing him.

"Camilla …" Matt spoke into the microphone. "I have to explain myself to you. Call it Randy's ego rubbing off on me."

Camilla chuckled lightly and Randy was getting mad again in the locker room.

"I wanted to wait for a big moment. I wanted to wait until I won at WrestleMania, and then ask you in front of the biggest crowd we had ever seen. But after you told me I wasn't ready, I thought about it back in the locker room."

The crowd was confused. What the hell was Orton talking about? Even J.R. and the King were befuddled.

"But then I realized that even asking you with no one around wouldn't be anymore special."

At that moment, Matt reached into his pocket, pulled out the little box, and got down on one knee. The crowd went crazy, cheering and clapping with enthusiasm. Matt opened the box and showed Camilla the ring.

"Camilla, will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

She snatched the microphone from Matt's hand. For a moment, Matt thought the worst.

"Of course, you goof!"

The two embraced and the crowd went nuts. Matt raised Camilla's arm in the air, a solitary tear running down her face. After Matt put it down, Camilla whispered into Matt's ear …

"You're not done yet. You still have a hell of a match."

"They're not going to stop me. Not tonight. Not after this."

* * *

"RAW might as well be called 'The Evolution show'", joked Randy, who was watching Batista take on Three Minute Warning on the monitor in his own handicap match. A member of Evolution was going to be involved in each match that night: Camilla had already won hers, Dave was about to win his, and Hunter, Randy, and Matt were going to have theirs later. Triple H was set to face each of his WrestleMania opponents, with HBK tonight and the Rock the week before the pay-per-view. Randy and Matt were discussing their matches. 

"Go for his legs. That's the only way you're gonna take him down."

"His legs? You managed to powerbomb him three times! I'm gonna do whatever I need to do to win."

Matt shrugged. "Well, be careful out there then. The last thing you would want to do is forfeit that belt 2 weeks before the big one."

"I'm _not_ going to lose. And I'm not going to let my brother trick me into thinking I can't win."

Randy shot up and headed to the ring as Dave had his arm raised in the air in victory. Matt stayed sitting there, confused.

"_Trick you? What the hell? I didn't mean that, you moron."_

Camilla now joined Matt on the bench, having changed back into street clothes. She put her arm around him and put her head on his shoulder.

"I'm so glad that's over with", stated Matt.

"Me too. I really was beginning to think that you really weren't ready."

"No … I was ready the whole time. I just wanted a big flashy proposal. Half the world watching me kneel in the middle of the ring. But that was just my ego talking. I knew you wouldn't think anymore of it if I did it then or in the morning as you got up."

Matt leaned in and gave Camilla a kiss. Only the sound of Kane's pyro broke the kiss, and Matt watched his brother tremble at the sight of the Big Red Machine walking down the ramp. Matt got up and walked out of the locker room, Camilla close behind.

"Why'd you leave?"

"Randy's scared of him. He won't win and I'm not going to watch him get the crap beat out of him."

"Then why the hell did _you_ challenge Kane if Randy can't beat him?!"

"It was all part of the plan to propose at WrestleMania, Camilla. But now I have to face the decision I made."

"If Randy can't do it, then what makes you think you can!"

"Randy's match isn't no disqualification! I've got all the weapons I can think of at my disposal!"

"Only the one's that are under the ring!"

"That's why we stash everything we can think of under the ring before the match starts!"

Camilla couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Just … just let me do what I have to do. I asked for this and now I have to deal with it."

"I don't want you to get hurt."

"Honey, this is wrestling. I'm going to get hurt. Why don't you think I can get this done?"

"Randy … he's going to get his ass kicked out there!"

"Randy isn't better than me!"

"Then how come he has your belt!"

"He got lucky! He got lucky, goddammit! I will beat Kane at WrestleMania! That is for certain!"

Matt heard footsteps coming, and they both turned to see Randy walking towards them, holding his shoulder.

"Dude, are you okay?"

"Yeah … he … he got me good … chokeslammed me … I landed on it funny …"

Matt ran over and grabbed Randy as he started to fall to the ground. Together, Matt and Camilla helped Randy over to the locker room. Dave and Hunter took Randy from them and helped him down to a bench. It was time for Matt's match, but Matt was hesitant to leave his brother behind like this.

"Matt … you better beat his ass at WrestleMania."

"No one hurts my brother like that … only I can."

Randy chuckled. "That's my line, remember?"

"You protected me when Steiner made me bleed. Now I get to protect you. Kane has his coming to him. But for now, Cena and Eric stand in my way."

The look on Matt's face surprised everyone in the room; Determination, anger, frustration … a myriad of emotions came to the surface. Hurriedly, Matt started to change into his new gear, a pair of solid black trunks with white letters lined in gold. Camilla gave a little whistle, making Matt smile. Randy slapped Matt on the back.

"Go get 'em, bro."

On the way to the ring, Matt could hear 'Basic Thuganomics' playing in the arena.

"The following contest is a Handicap match, and it is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, from West Newbury, Massachusetts, John Cena!"

"**BREAK IT DOWN!**"

"And introducing his tag team partner, from San Antonio, Texas, Eric Barringer!"

Matt stood behind the curtain, pumping himself up. He started to pace back and forth, hearing the DX music stop. He then watched the sound guy's eyes widen while he was watching the monitor. Curious, Matt walked over to see Kane attacking both his friends. Matt grabbed the nearest weapon to him, a steel chair, and rushed down to the ring. Kane had Cena and Eric in a chokeslam position before Matt brought down the chair hard over the Big Red Machine's head. Kane dropped his victims, and slowly turned around to face Matt.

"I'm not afraid of you, goddammit!"

Matt ducked a clothesline and smacked Kane in the head with the chair again. Kane stumbled back, but was still on his feet. After another shot, Kane still didn't go down. Angered, Matt threw the chair down and rebounded against the ropes, charging at Kane. However, Kane caught Matt with a hand around the throat and was about to lift him up when Cena clobbered Kane from behind with the chair.

Matt retreated to a turnbuckle while Cena lifted Kane up for the FU. He motioned towards two opposite corners, and Eric went up to the top of one. Matt, picking up the hint, climbed the turnbuckle he was near as Cena slammed Kane to the ground. Eric and Matt looked at each other, nodded, and jumped off at the same time, Eric hitting a Swanton Bomb and Matt hitting his Somersault Leg Drop.

Matt got up and motioned for Kane to get up, stalking his prey like his brother does. Eric and Cena backed off as the big man sat up and got to his feet. In one motion, Matt jumped up and brought Kane back down with a strong RKO.

"_That's for my brother, you freak."_

Evolution's exit music started to play, but Matt decided that he wasn't done. He picked up Kane's legs and locked in the Texas Cloverleaf, hearing screams of pain. Matt reared back as hard as he could, trying to send a message to his opponent: _"You don't attack my friends and your ass is mine at WrestleMania"_.

The crowd went wild when they saw something they thought they would never see: Kane tapping out. Matt let go when he heard the slamming of a hand against the canvas. He rolled out of the ring, Cena and Eric following right behind him. The three all raised each other's arms in the air, proving that respect can still exist between members of rival factions.

Camilla was overjoyed at seeing her fiancée triumphant. Randy was also happy to see Kane get his ass whooped. Dave smiled and nodded, showing approval, but in a calm and collected manner, as always. Hunter, however, was scowling …

"_How dare he work together with someone from DX! That son of a bitch … Orton will __**certainly regret that.**__"_

* * *

_So the lovebirds are finally __**engaged**__ lovebirds. But what does Triple H have in store for Matthew? _

_The mother of all pay-per-views comes closer every chapter! Thanks for reading, hope you liked it, and please review!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	31. Turmoil

_Randy and Torrie finally realized their feelings for each other. Matt finally asked Camilla to marry him. Randy got his ass handed to him by the Big Red Machine. Triple H didn't like Matt's collaboration with two other non-Evolutioneers in the attack against Kane. _

_But when Triple H tells Matt to do something, all hell breaks loose._

* * *

"I guess we make one hell of a team", Cena commented after himself, Matt, and Eric stepped behind the curtain after taking down Kane. "If you guys had been on Smackdown, we would have torn up the place." 

"_If_ we had been on Smackdown", Matt replied. "Right now … there's not much else we can do but speculate."

"Come on, Matt …", Eric interjected, "… you know you want to join DX. I know you despise Triple H. Cena could join us too and you could bring Camilla and Randy over with you! We'd be six strong and Evolution would cease to exist!"

"Eric, you know I would join DX in a heartbeat if I wasn't alre…"

"**No**, Matt! You won't join us because _your brother _is in Evolution! That's all you care about now! If you stay in Evolution, you're guaranteed to be held back! As long as Hunter has that gold around his waist, he's going to keep playing his little mind games and keep using you as a lackey!"

"Hunter hasn't asked me to do anything of the sort! The only time I've _ever_ done anything he told me to do was …"

"… the night you hit me in the back with the sledgehammer. Matt, I know you love your brother, but all you have to do is convince Randy to leave Evolution with you! I'm not asking you to leave him behind! Remember when you two trained together with me? Remember how much fun it was? It can be exactly like that again!"

"And what if he doesn't want to defect? What the hell do you want me to do then?"

"That's not for me to decide! You're eighteen now; make your own decisions!"

Eric turned around and headed off towards the DX locker room. Cena looked at Matt and shrugged before giving chase to Eric. Matt was furious at what Eric was expecting of him.

"_After __**he**__ screwed up and left Evolution, he expects __**me**__ to leave too?! He has to be joking…"_

Matt now turned around to head back to Evolution's locker room, but someone was standing in his way … with a big, shiny gold belt. He looked up to see Triple H staring at him.

"Enjoy your little powwow with the enemy there, Matt?"

"We were taking care of a common enemy, nothing more. Besides, Cena's not in DX."

"I don't care. Don't you remember? Anyone not with Evolution …"

"… is against Evolution. Yeah. I remember."

The two stared at each other until they heard HBK's music playing from the stage.

"You're coming out here with me."

"What?"

"You heard me. And then you're gonna take out Shawn after the match."

"_Ugh … this doesn't get any easier … _Why should I? He's your problem. You can take care of him yourself."

Matt started to walk away, but Hunter grabbed his shoulder forcefully, making Matt wince.

"If you value your brother's well-being, you _will_ take out HBK. And then you will take out Rocky next week."

"You son of a …" _SMACK!_ Hunter punched Matt square across the jaw, knocking him down into a couple of chairs.

"Now … when you get up, you will do as I tell you: come to the ring and take out Shawn."

As Hunter walked away, Matt realized that what Eric said was true.

"_Not only is Hunter manipulating me into keeping that belt on his waist, he's using my own brother to do it. You know … until that moment, I was thinking that Hunter wasn't that bad of a guy. Screw him. HBK is winning tonight. The Rock is winning next week. And, as long as I am alive and breathing, Triple H will __**not**__ walk out of WrestleMania with that belt."_

Back in the locker room, Randy, Dave, and Camilla were watching the main event of the night; Hunter had control of the match-up, not letting Shawn get any momentum. They were surprised when Matt stumbled into the room holding his chin.

"Whoa … what happened to you?" Randy asked his bro after seeing the growing bruise on Matt's face.

"Hunter got me good …"

"Hunter? Why would he punch you?"

"I refused to take out Shawn tonight."

Everyone looked at Matt as if he were crazy.

"Then he went on to say that, if I didn't take out Shawn, he would attack you, Randy."

Now everyone was shocked. They knew Triple H was desperate to keep the belt, but to use Randy as a method to control Matt?

"I don't want this anymore. We all want to humiliate Hunter, right? We're all tired of this grip he has on us, right? After we're all successful at WrestleMania, we all come out and cause Hunter to lose his title."

"But what about right now? Hunter's about to win!" Camilla pointed at the TV and they all saw Hunter getting Shawn in the Pedigree position.

"…… is the sledgehammer in here?"

"Yeah, in Triple H's locker. Why?" Batista asked.

"I have a plan." Matt rushed over and grabbed it, then sprinted out of the Evolution locker room towards the DX locker room. Pushing the door open, Jeff and Eric looked ready to fight upon seeing Matt with the hammer in hand.

"I need both of you right now!"

"What the hell?", Hardy exclaimed.

"I don't have much time to explain. I'm gonna run out there and attempt to hit Shawn in the head with the sledgehammer. I want you two to come out and grab it just as I'm about to bring it down on him. Then start kickin' the hell out of me."

Jeff and Eric looked at each other, not knowing what the hell was going on. "Why the hell should we listen to what you say?" Hardy asked.

"Just trust me on this! Believe me; it will pay off in the end!"

Eric turned to Jeff and said, "Come on. I trust him."

"You better be right about this, Eric."

The three men then darted off towards the entrance ramp.

"What is this about, Matt?" Eric asked his friend.

"This is all part of a plan. A plan to bring down Triple H at WrestleMania. We have to fool him first."

Eric smiled. "Then are you joining DX?"

"I don't know about that. But Triple H definitely stepped over the line earlier, and he will pay for it. We're gonna make sure Shawn wins the championship."

Eric was confused, but nevertheless overjoyed at Matt finally growing a pair. They reached the entrance ramp just as Triple H was gloating in the ring, holding the belt in the air.

"Ready?"

Eric nodded and Matt walked out through the curtain. Evolution's music started, and Hunter looked to the top of the ramp. Matt was carrying the sledgehammer, and Triple H smiled. Climbing into the ring, Matt looked down at the fallen Heartbreak Kid and took aim at his head. The crowd groaned in response, but broke out into cheers as Matt lifted the hammer in the air. Eric and Jeff sprinted down to the ring. Sliding in, Eric went to work on Triple H and Jeff snatched the sledgehammer from Matt's hands.

Jeff was all but happy to slam the sledgehammer into Matt's stomach, bringing Orton down to the ground. Jeff then walked over and slammed the hammer down on Triple H's back. The two junior DX members then dragged a groggy HBK out of the ring as Randy and Dave ran down to make a late save. Randy got Matt to his feet.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Randy whispered.

"Yeah … cough … but Jeff went a little overboard", Matt said, clutching his stomach.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll manage. But for now, the damage is done. I came out here to take Shawn out and Hunter believed it. That's all that matters."

* * *

Matt woke up on a Thursday morning, and bolted to the closet. Today was the day that Randy had scheduled to take him to the tattoo parlor, and he wanted to be ready as soon as possible. He quickly slipped on a shirt and shorts, then took off downstairs to wait for Randy. But, to his surprise, both Randy _and_ Camilla were waiting for _him_. 

"Ready, bro?"

"Whoa … I thought you would still be snoring."

"Nah. I know how bad you've been wanting this and I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. The artist there is gonna do the ones on your forearms first, since they're smaller. We'll go back for the one on your back and the ones on your upper arms at a later time. I don't think you want to sit there for a half a day."

Matt smiled. "And you, Camilla? Why are you coming?"

"Randy tripped coming down the stairs and I had to get him an icepack. Apparently, you slept through the whole ruckus. And I figured since I was awake already, I might as well tag along."

"You tripped? Klutz."

"Ugh … I can't wait 'till I beat your ass again."

"You don't have to wait for a match to try."

Camilla stepped in between the two before something got started. "Alright, alright. None of this right now. I'm sure you can fight it out for the title again after WrestleMania."

"Damn right we will. I'll take _my_ title back."

"_Your_ title?"

"Stop it! Both of you! Now, come on! We're gonna be late."

Camilla dragged both of them to the car and they all took off toward downtown St. Louis. After a short drive, Randy parked in front of the establishment.

"Whoa … this isn't really how I pictured a tattoo parlor to look", Matt exclaimed.

"What? Did you expect black lights and all kinds of weird crap on the walls?"

"Yeah … sorta."

"Do you think he'll have time for the whole thing?"

"For both your forearms? Yeah, of course."

"No, for the rest of them too."

Randy stared at Matt like he was nuts. "Don't you know how long it took them to finish mine? Over four hours each … in two sessions. I don't think you want to be stuck with a needle repeatedly for longer than that."

Camilla could see where this was going.

"I can go longer than you can, believe me. You're just too much of a …mmmph!"

Camilla covered Matt's mouth and shoved him in the front door. Randy introduced his brother to Mike, the man who did his own tattoos some years ago.

"You have a brother?"

Randy chuckled. "Long story. But he _is _my brother. Anyway, he's getting the same ones I have. Just the forearms though for now. We'll come later for the one on his back and then the ones on his upper arms."

"How long would it take you to do the whole thing?"

Randy sighed in frustration and Camilla rolled her eyes.

"How much time do you have?"

"I don't think we're doing anything special today. Why?"

Mike looked at his watch. "8:30. You'd probably be out of here by 6:00."

Matt quickly did the math in his head. _"Nine and a half hours?!"_

Randy took Matt's stunned silence as a victory. He smiled and saw Mike prepare to get started.

"Still think you can do the whole thing today?"

"…. just the forearms then."

Randy went back to the front lobby to sit down with Camilla, who had her head buried in a magazine.

"Congratulations, by the way."

Camilla looked confused. "For what? I haven't won the Women's championship yet."

"Not for that! For your engagement! Duh!"

"Oh … thanks." Camilla went back to her magazine. Her terseness and silence disturbed Randy, however.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Although she denied it, Randy could tell that there _was_ something wrong. Ever since Matt took Camilla back before No Way Out, she found it very awkward to be around Randy alone.

"Listen, I know what you're thinking. I've gotten over it. Hell, Matt _obviously_ has gotten over it or he wouldn't have asked you to marry him."

"I know that … it's just … I can never really get over the fact that the one thing I did that hurt Matt almost separated us forever. And whenever I think about it or something causes me to think about it, I get nervous and short with people. I'm sure I'll get over it eventually … "

"Well … oh! I forgot something. Torrie called me and left me a voicemail congratulating you two." Randy took his phone out and pulled the message up, and then handed the phone over to Camilla. She yelped at Torrie's high-pitched and overexcited voice and kept the speaker a little farther away from her ear; nevertheless, she smiled and appreciated Torrie's words of encouragement. Camilla gave Randy back his phone.

"You know, I'm happy for you two as well", Camilla said to him. "Do you think you would eventually … you know …"

"Get married? Well, we're definitely not that far along ahead. I mean, we certainly love each other. But I could see us getting engaged in the future. I don't know if I'd ask her during an episode of RAW, though."

Camilla giggled, and she handed Randy the magazine she was reading. The time passed slowly; the two going through all the newspaper sections and the magazines that Mike had in the lobby. Every once in a while, they would hear Matt yelp from the back. The yelps added up over time, and Matt eventually walked out, his forearms wrapped up.

"It stings … owwww."

"Aww … did Mike give you a lollipop and a band-aid to make it all better?"

Matt gave his brother a glare. "Shut up, Randy."

At that moment, Randy's stomach growled so loud that everyone in the room could hear it.

"I guess it's time for lunch."

"What do you want, boys?"

"Chinese!" "Pizza!"

Randy and Matt stared at each other, and Camilla regretted asking. The two brothers started arguing on the way to the car.

"Come on, we have pizza every goddamn Monday night, and I don't like it!"

"But you eat it anyway! Besides, we'll get one mushroom just for you."

"We've already gone through this before …"

"Will you two shut up!?"

Camilla's loud voice from the backseat silenced the rest of the car. Matt and Randy looked back at her with looks of surprise on their faces.

"You two want to fight, don't you? Then have a match when we get home. Whoever wins gets to choose what we eat."

"You're on!", shouted both brothers. Randy sped off towards the house, planning his strategy. Matt was coming up with one of his own, one that he would use in his rematch on RAW.

"_It's not a matter of if I get one … it's __**when**__ I'll get one."_

"Say .. let's add another stipulation to the match. If I win, you tell Bischoff to give me a rematch for the title next Monday."

"Whoa, whoa … you don't have to do something like this. You know I'm going to give you a rematch. Besides, you have to finish your business up with Kane first. Bischoff probably has some kind of match lined up for you two next Monday."

"Probably …" Matt trailed off and looked out the window.

"What are you thinking?"

"About how the hell I'm going to win this Hell in a Cell match. Last time, I even hit him with the MKO and only got a _one_-count. I'm really starting to regret challenging him now."

"Matt …", Camilla interjected, "… I know this sounds cheesy, but if you keep looking at it negatively, you're gonna lose. You've got to have a positive attitude! Go into it looking like Kane is Randy and beat his ass!"

Randy opened his mouth to object, but stopped. "She's right, Matt. Use all that focus that you have when you face me in the ring on Kane."

Matt smiled. "You guys always know how to bolster my spirits."

Camilla gave Matt a small kiss on the cheek. "That's what we're here for. But, for now, you better be thinking how you're gonna beat your brother."

"Don't worry. I have a plan."

The car pulled into the driveway and Matt and Randy raced each other to the backyard. Matt wanted to pull off the wrappings on his new tattoos to show them off, but was advised to keep them on for about three to four hours. Camilla caught up to them and she climbed into the ring to act as the referee.

"You guys better make this quick because I'm starving!"

Randy quickly ran at Matt, but the younger Orton dodged and quickly caught his brother around the neck with a sleeper hold. To avoid any elbows to the gut, Matt brought Randy to the ground and wrapped his legs around Randy's waist.

"Where ... the hell … did you learn …"

"A pointer from Camilla."

Randy somehow managed to roll over on his stomach and started to get to his feet, Matt still on his back. He ran backwards into the turnbuckle forcefully, making Matt let go. With Matt on the rebound off the turnbuckle, Randy easily hit the RKO. Camilla winced and reluctantly counted to three. Randy picked his brother up and set him to his feet.

"You okay?"

"Mushroom."

"What?"

"Get me a mushroom pizza", Matt said tersely.

"Heh. Okay, okay."

* * *

Matt was staring at his new tattoos in the locker room. It was the week before WrestleMania and the brothers felt more pumped up than ever. Matt's loss to Randy over the week didn't phase him at all, all because of the tattoos. Now that the wrappings were removed, Matt felt like he had part of his brother with himself at all times. It was a tremendous boost to his confidence, and everyone around him noticed. Camilla entered the locker room, handing the copy of the card for the night to everyone. 

"Hey, we're tagging together tonight!" Matt yelled out to Randy.

"Yeah, but look at who you're up against", Hunter interrupted.

Taking a second look, Matt took a deep breath; he and Randy would be going up against Kane, Cena, and Eric in a 2-on-3 handicap match.

"But I'm not getting off any easier. Dave and I have a match against the Rock and Shawn."

Camilla chimed in. "I get the week off. Looks like I get to walk out there with you guys tonight, Matt."

"Good. We'll need all the encouragement we can get", stated Randy.

Before long, Hunter walked out of the room to get something. Matt pulled Dave, Randy, and Camilla to the back corner of the room for a little meeting.

"Dave, I don't think I have to tell you anything. You two won't have any trouble tonight."

"I'll keep Hunter in the ring for as long as I can", replied the Animal. "Wear him out for Sunday night."

"Good. Randy, I think we have Cena and Jeff behind us for this one. They'll keep Kane in the ring as long as they can, but if Kane is nearby for a tag, they're gonna tag in."

"Got it."

"No matter what happens, _I_ want the pin. I'm gonna humiliate Kane before Sunday."

The handicap match was in the second hour of RAW, and Randy, Matthew, and Camilla started heading towards the entrance ramp.

"You know, we're still undefeated when we've been on the same team."

"Let's keep it that way."

Upon stepping onto the stage, all three of them posed, Matthew and Camilla holding one hand. "Line in the Sand" blared as Camilla stayed at ringside and the brothers climbed in.

"I guess the only thing I'll miss about Evolution is the theme song. Catchy little thing."

"We can still be Evolution. You, me, Camilla, and Dave. Just no Triple H."

Cena then came down to the ring, eager to get the match started. He had no qualms with Matt, but John wanted to get his hands on Randy for beating him a couple of weeks ago.

"**BREAK IT DOWN!**"

The crowd erupted when they saw Eric walk out onto the stage; he had a small bag of what looked like black cloth in his hand. Upon seeing it, Matt instantly knew what it was.

"_DX shirts. I really want to join them … but I don't think Randy would."_

**BOOM!**

The whole arena turned red and everyone looked back to see Kane slowly making his way to the ring. Camilla backed off and stood behind Matt and Randy, who were already on the apron. Cena wanted to start off, but Kane pulled him back and through the ropes. Randy started to step in, but Matt got in before him.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Randy backed off and the bell rang. Kane and Matthew faced each other down in the middle of the ring, Matt looking up at the Big Red Machine. Matt pulled the first punch, tripping up Kane with a drop toe hold and going to work on his knees, delivering kick after kick to the back of Kane's right leg. After a good while, Matt climbed up to the turnbuckle and waited for Kane to get up. Once Kane was hobbling on his feet, Matt flew at him with a cross body block.

But Kane caught him in mid-air.

Matt tried to wiggle free, but Kane slammed him down back-first on his knee. Kane then started to choke Matt, the force of both hands squeezing the life out of him. Randy came in and interrupted the hold, but was quickly thrown over the top rope. Matt watched his brother hit the black barrier hard before getting his throat gripped again. Desperate, Matt resorted to kicking Kane hard in the crotch.

Eric was watching from the corner, concerned. Matt was in a bad way, but he couldn't do anything to save him. Thinking, he held his hand out for a tag.

"Kane! Let me in!"

Kane shot a malicious look at Eric and looked away. That was enough of a distraction for Matt to get up and spear Kane down. Taking a page from Flair's book, he drug Kane to the middle of the ring and applied the Figure Four Leg Lock. Matt applied as much pressure as he could; if Kane couldn't get up, the match would be his for the taking. For the first time in the match, Kane reached over to his teammates for a tag. Cena was all too eager to get involved, but Eric held him back.

"He didn't need us before; he doesn't need us now."

John was about to protest, but said nothing. He retracted his hand back and would let Kane do all to work to make a tag. Matt could see Randy climbing back on the apron and extended his hand to his brother. Randy stretched as far as he could and made the tag. Getting into the ring, Randy wrapped his arm around Kane's throat while Matt still had the Figure Four locked in. Matt stayed on for as long as the referee would let him before going back to the apron.

Kane, however, elbowed Randy hard in the gut. Another elbow later, Kane was loose and he locked his hand around Orton's throat. Matt watched in horror as his brother was lifted up in the air and slammed down hard. Kane went for the cover, but Matt interrupted the count. Kane then grabbed Matt by the throat. However, Kane walked towards the ropes and chokeslammed Matt over the top rope onto the floor.

Camilla gasped as Matt hit the ground and ran over to check on him immediately; Matt wasn't conscious. She looked up to see Randy hanging upside down; Kane was about to deliver the Tombstone Piledriver. With a sickening thud, Randy was knocked out cold. Kane covered and got the three-count. While Kane was gloating about his victory, Camilla dragged Randy out to the floor.

John dropped off the apron to return to the locker room, extremely disappointed that he didn't even get to participate. Suddenly, the crowd started to boo and a loud thud was heard. Cena looked back to see Kane's hand around Eric's throat. John rushed back to the ring and tried to free Eric, but got a hand around his throat in return. A double chokeslam was delivered, leaving four men incapacitated. The Big Red Machine lifted his arms in the air and brought them down, his signature red flame exploding from each ring post.

Camilla tried desperately to revive the two brothers. Matt's eyes started to flutter, but Randy still wasn't moving. She looked up and saw Kane stepping behind the curtain and breathed a sigh of relief; the threat was gone, but the aftermath wasn't pretty. Matt struggled to his feet, holding the back of his head, but all the pain seemed to go away when he saw Randy on the floor. Camilla and Matt lifted Randy up, each getting an arm.

"_Kane, god help me, you __**will not walk out of WrestleMania.**__"_

* * *

_The last RAW before the big one ends terribly for the Orton family. Will Randy muster up the strength to keep his Intercontinental title? And will Matt have the strength to get the revenge he wants on Kane? _

_Read and review! Hope you enjoyed reading it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	32. Find Your Way

_While Hunter and Dave still have their match against HBK and the Rock, Matt and Randy head to the back to recover from the massive attack from Kane. Then, Matt goes back to get the second and third parts of his birthday present from Randy. Finally, Evolution arrives at Safeco Field in Seattle to prepare for WrestleMania XIX. _

_Hope you like it!_

* * *

When Camilla and Matt carried Randy behind the curtain, Batista was waiting for them. 

"Is he okay?"

"No", replied Matt, struggling to keep his wits about him after getting hit in the back of his head rather hard from Kane's chokeslam. "He's not even conscious. Please, take him to the trainer."

Batista quickly took Randy from the couple and took off. Triple H appeared from around the corner as Dave passed him.

"Hurry up! Our match is in two minutes!"

Dave stopped and looked back at Hunter, but shot off again towards the trainer. Matthew had a look of complete and total disgust on his face. Camilla could see Matt getting angry and dragged him into a nearby empty room.

"How _dare_ he worry about his little match when Randy could have a concussion! Forget WrestleMania! I'm going to tear his head off right now!"

"Matt, no! You're in no shape to take Hunter on! You might have a slight concussion too!"

"I don't care! If Hunter is going to disrespect my family, he's going to answer to me!"

"Matt, if you do this now, our plan will be blown and Hunter could go crazy! He'll grab the sledgehammer and do more damage than Kane did!"

Frustrated, Matt sat down on a bench and put his head in his hands. Camilla became worried when she heard a small sob come from her fiancée.

"I'm … I'm just worried. When I saw Randy like that on the ground, I thought I was going to lose him. I don't know what the hell I would do if that happened."

"He's not going to die. Randy's too strong for that. You're thinking about the worst possible scenario and it's driving you bonkers! Listen, Kane will get his on Sunday. Matt, I know that you are going to do everything in your power to destroy that … freak … or whatever he is. And then we'll cause Hunter to lose the belt and send him back to the bottom of the ladder!"

Matt finally looked up at Camilla and gave her the biggest hug she had received in quite a while. However, with the anger and frustration leaving his body, all the pain started to come back. Matt struggled to get back to his feet and Camilla helped him to the doorway. However, as they were coming out, Eric, Jeff, and John ran up to them.

"Are you okay?!" Eric asked his best friend.

"No … not really."

Eric and Jeff took Matt from Camilla and helped him to Evolution's now empty locker room. John and Camilla went off to the trainer's to get an icepack and to check on Randy.

Eric was ready to burst his lid. "That … that _idiot_ … he'll learn not to mess with my friend."

Matt chuckled weakly. "Don't … you'll just have him after you too. I don't want that. This is my business. I'm going to finish Kane off on Sunday."

"In this condition?" asked Jeff. "I highly doubt that."

"What other choice do I have? I have to get myself out of this hole. And if it means facing that red freak in a huge freaking cell, I'll do it."

Matt could tell that there was still some animosity between the two. Matt had obviously still not gained Jeff's trust yet. Camilla then rushed in the room with an icepack and gave it to Matt. Cena followed in close behind.

"Any … any news on my brother?"

"Homeboy's awake now", Cena replied. "The trainer said that he'll be okay, but his head's gonna be a little sore for the match on Sunday."

The younger Orton breathed a huge sigh of relief. "At least he's okay. I don't care what happens to his title. I'll get it back one day."

Everyone one in the room smiled, happy that Matt still had his spunk. Eric and Cena looked at each other and knew that it could be one of them that had to defend the Intercontinental title against Matt.

"Okay. Most of you are here. I'll tell Randy and Dave later. Hunter's match is second before last. We can't do anything to get anyone disqualified, so we need to take out the ref 'by accident'. Either Eric or Jeff will come in and distract the ref. The other one will either take out Hunter or the Rock, whoever is nearest Shawn. Then I'll come in and try to spear whoever is distracting the ref."

"But we'll move out of the way", Eric said.

"Right. Then Dave and Randy will come out and all hell will break loose. Dave will take out the Rock with a Batista Bomb and leave just Shawn and Hunter up. Randy and I will creep up behind Shawn for a double RKO, but we'll fake out and hit Hunter with it."

"Does this mean you'll join us?"

"Eric, this isn't the time or the place to discuss that."

"Bullshit! Tell me now! Tell me why you won't join!"

Matt looked at the ground. "Two reasons. One of which you might accept and one you already know."

"It's Randy, isn't it?"

"He doesn't want to join DX. And I'm not going to be in a group in direct opposition with him."

Eric sighed. He had accepted this reason long ago. "What's the other reason then?"

"If we all join you, we'll have the collection of the best talent on RAW. It'll be only a matter of time until we have all the titles on this brand. Then, whoever doesn't …"

"But that's not what DX is about! Titles?! Who gives a shit?! See, this is a result of Hunter's thinking rubbing off on you! The championship doesn't mean anything to Shawn! He just wants to get his hands on Hunter! DX is about goofing off. DX is about wanting to have fun in a business that is _way_ too serious!"

"I don't think I could ever revert to that thinking. Ever since I won the Intercontinental belt, I felt like that belt was my life."

"You're _wrong_! Think about how you felt after you lost the belt to Randy! Think about how you felt when you challenged Kane! Everything doesn't have to be about a title!"

Eric reached into the bag that he had taken to the ring and tossed Matt and Camilla one DX shirt each. Matt unfolded it and looked at the big green logo in front of him. Joining DX would mean leaving his brother behind. Joining DX would mean _betraying_ his brother. Matt got up silently and took the shirt with him. Camilla and John were dumbfounded; they couldn't believe what was about to happen. The younger Orton walked over to the large mirror in the back of the locker room and put on the shirt.

"_It __**does**__ look good on me"_, he thought to himself.

Eric smiled for the first time that night. He finally had his best friend back; even Jeff had a smirk on his face. The two walked out of the room, leaving Camilla and John speechless.

"Yo … you're not actually joining them, are you?", Cena asked.

"Of course not. I put on the shirt to get Eric and Jeff out of the room. John, I've never had any grudge against you. You're my friend, and I respect you immensely. After Sunday, there will be a spot open in Evolution. I want to invite you in."

"You just had to say the word, man."

Matt embraced Cena and slapped him on the back. What he said to Randy that night in Las Vegas was true. He had made another friend and kept his brother. He didn't have to worry about Eric anymore.

"You'll join this Monday. Keep the Intercontinental belt in Evolution at Mania, okay? I guarantee you that, by the end of Backlash, the new Evolution will have every single title on RAW."

"You got it, bro."

Cena walked out of the room, visibly excited about joining Evolution. Camilla noticed that Matt's face was also noticably brighter.

"How does this change the plan?"

"I'm not sure. Hunter still will get what's coming to him."

Matt looked at the mirror again, this time directly at the shirt. To him, the shirt symbolized what little friendship there was between him and Eric. Those years in high school, those years of joshing around, those years of almost being brothers … were gone now. Matt ripped the shirt in half from the middle and tossed it in the garbage. He looked down and saw the tattoos again on his forearms.

"_All because of finding a real brother … Eric __**was**__ right. He has been replaced."_

"Matt! The match! It's ending!"

Orton snapped out of his trance and looked towards the monitor. Batista had delivered one hell of a Batista Bomb to HBK and Hunter was now getting ready for a Pedigree. Sighing, Matt started to make his way to the entrance ramp, ready to carry out the second half of his orders from Triple H. He grabbed a chair on the way down to the curtain, smiling.

"_This will be the __**last**__ time I take orders from you."_

Evolution's music hit and Matt started to walk down to the ring, the crowd welcoming Matt with a wave of boos, but Matt drank it all in. He now loved being despised by half the world; the boos only fed his growing ego. Batista grabbed an unconscious Rock and Hunter lifted HBK off the ground. Matt first took aim at the Rock, raising the chair up and smashing it down on his forehead. The same happened to HBK a second later; Matt was more than happy to bring the chair down on Shawn's head. J.R. could be heard yelling from the announce table about Triple H corrupting such a young and upcoming superstar.

"_Triple H no longer has dominion over me. Me, Randy, John, and Dave are the __**new**__ Evolution. We are the future. The time for Triple H is over. __**Our time is now!**__"_

Matt looked over at Batista and Triple H and mouthed "Natural Selection". The two picked up a fallen superstar and put their heads on the chair. Orton climbed to the turnbuckle as Dave and Hunter got ready for powerbombs. But when the crowd start to cheer, Matt turned to see Jeff and Eric running down the ramp. Instead of what he had planned, Matt launched himself at the two intruders, knocking down both of them hard. Out of the corner of his eye, Matt spied Randy stumbling down the ramp as well. When his brother reached him, Matt was genuinely concerned.

"Are you okay? Randy, you shouldn't be out here!"

"What? And miss the big finale? Hell no."

Matt laughed and the brothers drug both Barringer and Hardy into the ring. With all four Evolution members in the ring, Batista got the Batista Bomb ready for the Rock, Hunter readied another Pedigree on Shawn, Matt put Eric in the position for the MKO, and Randy put Jeff on the turnbuckle for the RKO. Hunter nodded, and, all at once, Evolution pulled off their finishers.

Blood had been drawn.

Rocky was bleeding.

Jeff was bleeding.

Shawn was bleeding.

Eric was bleeding.

And all Matt did was smile.

* * *

Matt came out of the back of the tattoo parlor, his upper arms and upper back wrapped in bandages. Knowing what kind of pain of the needle would deliver, Matt opted to get the rest of it done then and there. Randy advised against it, but knew that Matt wouldn't change his mind. It took nearly the whole day to finish it, and Randy and Camilla were eating McDonald's when Matt was finished. 

"Awwww, you couldn't wait?!"

"Nope", Randy replied, shoving down McNuggets and french fries. Camilla nodded sipping on a milkshake and taking a bite from a cheeseburger. Matt started to drool a bit, his hunger getting the best of him.

"Can we stop by …"

"NO!", yelled Randy and Camilla in unison, smiling. Matt's stomach growled and he wanted to say something back, but he was too sleepy and hurt to do anything. After the two forced Matt to watch them eat the rest of their lunch, the trio drove back to the Orton household. As they were stepping inside, Randy's cell phone rang.

"It's Torrie!" he exclaimed, eyes widening in surprise. "I will see you guys later…"

"He'll be locked in his room talking for a good while. But _I'll _be locked in the kitchen … god, I'm hungry."

Matt ran off to the kitchen to get whatever was in the pantry. Camilla followed close behind and saw Matt preparing some hard-boiled eggs and tuna.

"Have you given any thought to our wedding?"

Matt dropped one of the eggs on the floor. "A little. Who do you want to invite?"

"I don't have many in mind. I mean … you're the only family I have and I don't think the friends I have in San Antonio will want to come all the way to St. Louis."

"Well, you should invite them anyway. I'm going to invite my … er … 'foster' parents … I still don't know what to refer to them as. Then we could invite all of RAW and Smackdown to come."

"Do you honestly think that _anyone_ would actually come? I mean, you're pretty much the most hated right now in the whole company."

"Well … Torrie, John, and Dave would come. I'm sure all the McMahons would too."

"That's a given though. That would be almost everyone. Maybe one or two others, but that would be it."

As Matt was peeling one of the eggs, an idea came to him. "What about eloping? We could skip the whole business of a wedding and just go have it done without anyone there."

"But wouldn't you want people there? I'm sure Randy would get mad if he wasn't the best man!"

"Okay … that's out of the picture then. I guess we need to sit down sometime after Sunday to plan this whole thing out."

"It'll be small, not that many guests. Just a little ceremony."

Matt nodded and finished peeling the rest of his eggs. Making his tuna sandwiches, he sat down at the dining room table to eat. Camilla got a couple of root beers and gave one to Matt after sitting next to him. She put her head on his shoulder while Matt start to chomp away. After a little while, they heard footsteps coming down the stairs and Randy walked into the kitchen.

"So what's going to happen on Sunday?"

"Well, wait, hold on. How was the talk with Torrie?"

"She wanted to wish us good luck this weekend."

"And….?" Camilla questioned.

"… and …. that she loves me."

Matt and Camilla smiled. "You two really do have a future together", Matt told his brother. "Whenever you're around her or right after you talk to her, you have this sort of smile on your face. That's the way I felt when I first met Camilla. It wasn't that I felt happy. It was because I felt … well … safe and at home with her. She was someone I could open up to and someone who could answer any questions I had. As cliché as it sounds, I felt like I had known her since the beginning."

"That's like how I feel", Randy replied. "She gives me this … fuzzy feeling whenever I'm around her. Just like …"

"Jennifer."

"Yeah. Just like her."

"We'll take you out to dinner on your birthday next week. You'll be twenty-three, and it'll have been one year since you and I found each other in San Antonio."

Randy was a little taken aback; he had totally forgotten about his birthday. He had focused so much on what was going on on RAW and his relationship with Torrie that his birthday had slipped his mind.

"You better get me one hell of a birthday present."

"I'm still thinking on that one. But it won't be anything less than 'one hell of a birthday present'."

* * *

Evolution's private jet landed in Seattle, Washington early Sunday morning. Matt was looking out the window, seeing Safeco Field on the way down. Butterflies fluttered around in his stomach; he was getting truly nervous. Two things were to happen: he would give Kane what he deserved and a new phase of Evolution would come to pass. Camilla patted Matt on the back, seeing him get anxious. 

"You're not out of the woods either. You've got Trish Stratus in front of you today."

"No problem. She's nothing compared to me."

"Heh … you _really_ are that confident, are you?"

"Yep. And you should too. It's the only way to approach a match at all. If you had that attitude going into every match, you would win every single one of them."

"_Every_ single one of them? I don't know about that."

"Have I lost yet?"

"You've only had three matches. That's not quite fair."

"But have I lost yet?"

"… no."

"See? What else is there to think of?"

Matt nodded reluctantly and looked again at his forearms. The only way he would get that amount of confidence was to remember that he had his friends behind him. Dave, John, Camilla, and Randy, they would all be in the back cheering him on. Matt laughed, remembering all the Saturday morning cartoons that had similar messages, trying to teach kids that friendship is one of the most important things in life.

"_To make an omelette, you've got to break some eggs. After Kane, I'm going after Eric."_

Evolution arrived at Safeco Field, where a line of fans was already wrapped around the building. As their limo pulled into the parking lot, Matt managed to recognize a couple of people looking through his window.

"Michael … Adrian … Travis… all from my year …"

They were all wearing DX shirts. His heart sank, seeing a wave of green throughout the fans. Matt could see someone pointing at the limo and yelling. Everyone turned towards the limo, raising their arms in protest. He could see his classmates yelling, and Matt struggled to keep his spirits alive.

"Stop the car! Stop it! **NOW!**"

Once the driver stopped, Matt got out and got a better look at all the people who hated him. He started to shake with anger. He looked directly at Michael, Adrian, and Travis, who actually looked stunned to see him in person again. Matt pointed directly at them.

"**You three will see! You three will see how things will change!**"

Camilla pulled him back into the limo, where Hunter, Dave, and Randy looked at him like he was crazy. Matt was quite used to getting this reaction.

"What the hell was all that about?" screamed Hunter. " … 'How things will change'? What the hell did that mean?"

Matt calmed down and returned to his wits. He wasn't about to let Hunter learn of the plan.

"They all thought of me as a little do-gooder in high school. I was the teacher's pet. I was the person who wouldn't get into trouble at all. I was complacent with my place in the school's society. But now that I'm in this business, I'm a newbie again. I'm a freshman in WWE High School. However, I'm not going to be the do-gooder. With you guys, we'll be at the top of the class! We'll be the popular group! We'll be the bullies! We'll be the …"

"Okay … okay … Matt, please calm down!" Camilla pleaded.

"_You'll see Hunter. The bully will become the bullied."_

* * *

_The mechanisms of Matt's plan will start to roll into place. Matt faces Kane, Camilla faces Trish, and Randy faces John and Eric. Who will win?_

_Hope you enjoyed this one! Please read and review!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	33. Force Your Way

_WrestleMania XIX. _

_Randy Orton vs. John Cena vs. Eric Barringer for the Intercontinental Championship._

_Matthew Orton vs. Kane in Hell in a Cell._

_Camilla vs. Trish Stratus for the WWE Women's Championship._

_Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels vs. The Rock for the World Heavyweight Championship._

_Will Evolution begin again?_

* * *

Matt could hear the stadium filling up as he changed into his gear. The shear amount of people out there already dwarfed the attendance of any RAW or Smackdown he had ever been a part of. And then the cell hanging over the ring … 

"Matt!"

Orton snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to see Batista calling his name. Dave didn't have a match tonight, but nevertheless, he was important to the plan.

"Come over here. I want to talk to you."

Confused, the younger Orton got up and followed Batista into a separate room.

"I wanted to speak to you about leadership of the new group."

"Leadership?"

"I think you should take Triple H's place."

"What?! Wait a minute. The youngest member of Evolution as the leader? If anyone, it should be you! You're the biggest, the oldest, probably the wisest! Me? I'm just a k…"

"You're not a kid! Orton, you've got guts to come up with this plan. Triple H is no one to reckon with. Neither is Kane. And you're going on two assaults against two of the biggest names on RAW. That's someone who I think should be a leader."

"Can we talk about this later? Randy's match is about to start."

Reluctantly, Batista got up and walked over to the monitor. The arena was finally full and the Sunday Night Heat match had already taken place.

"God, that's freaking huge."

"No kidding", Camilla said, coming out of the restroom dressed in her own gear. "Even I'm a little bit nervous."

And then, the bell rang.

"**BREAK IT DOWN!**"

"The following contest is a Triple Threat match scheduled for one fall, and it is for the Intercontinental Championship! Introducing the challengers: first, from San Antonio, Texas, weighing in at 223 pounds, Eric Barringer!"

The stadium roared with cheers and applause, and Eric looked out at all the green shirts and DX signs. Nothing could make this moment better for him; to be in front of over 50,000 fans almost straight out of high school was something he never thought could happen. Once he got to ringside, Eric high-fived three fans. Matt recognized them from the monitor.

"Those are them. Michael, Adrian, and Travis. Eric must have gotten them ringside seats."

"Ignore them. Don't even look at them when you go out there. Focus on the match", Batista suggested.

"From West Newbury, Massachusetts, weighing in at 240 pounds, John Cena!"

'Basic Thuganomics' then played over the arena speakers, and Cena started the long trek down to the ring. He was beaming, extremely happy about what was going to take place. Cena might win the Intercontinental title, but, more importantly, he would be part of a team that would take down Triple H and form a new era on RAW. John got into the ring and faced down Barringer; they were still on good terms with each other, but after tonight and Monday, they would be the bitterest of enemies.

'Line in the Sand' was next up, and Randy walked onto the stage. From the locker room, Matt started cheering like a little kid for his big brother.

"From St. Louis, Missouri, weighing in 245 pounds, he is the current Intercontinental Champion, Randy Orton!"

Randy posed to a shower of gold sparks behind him, the belt shining brightly on his waist. He could hear people cursing at him, he saw all the anti-Evolution signs … it only made his ego grow larger. He climbed into the ring, took off the belt, and held it high up in the air before giving it to the referee. The ref held it up in the air before giving it to someone at ringside and motioned for the match to start.

Randy, John, and Eric all looked at each other carefully. Eric then nodded towards Randy, expecting Cena to pick up the hint. However, Randy and John attacked Eric at the same time, much to the surprise to the crowd. They backed Eric into a corner and started taking turns kicking the DX member square in the chest. Confused and hurting, Eric wisely slipped under the bottom rope to the floor to try to regroup.

"_What the hell is going on here?"_

Eric looked up to see Cena and Orton looking down at him like a predator does his prey. He saw Orton mutter something, and Cena hopped out of the ring to give chase. The rapper charged at Eric, but he dodged and sent John shoulder first into the ring post. If they were working together, Eric had to find a way to isolate one of them. He picked John up and whipped him again to the opposite set of stairs, making Cena cry out and clutch his shoulder.

Eric then looked back up to the ring, but no one was there. When he turned around, the last thing he saw was an arm wrapping around his neck before he blacked out. Randy had delivered an RKO to Eric on the outside, instantly knocking him out. Cena started to stir as Orton dragged Eric up and back into the ring. Randy went for the cover.

"1, 2, …"

Cena grabbed Randy's leg from the outside and dragged him off Eric. John climbed back in and Randy looked at him like he was nuts. Backstage, Matt cracked a smile; he had wanted to see Cena and his brother face off since the beginning, having missed their last encounter. Punches were exchanged, and the two grappled after neither being knocked down. After a fist to Randy's stomach, Cena lifted Randy up for a fast fisherman's suplex. Cena wanted the belt just as bad as Randy, and he wasn't going to let Orton just have the match.

Reminiscent of his first match, Matt watched as Cena applied a Boston Crab to his brother, the legs being pulled high and back. Randy screamed out as he felt his back being compressed and his abdomen stretched. Desperate, Randy reached out with both hands to the bottom rope and started to drag himself closer and closer to it. John tried to bring him back to the middle of the ring, but Randy's arm strength prevailed, bringing him to the bottom rope. After letting go, Cena readied himself for the FU, waiting for Randy to get back up.

The crowd's volume slowly started to increase, and Cena assumed that they were cheering for him. However, a newly revived Eric started to climb up the turnbuckle. Cena didn't realize it until two feet smacked him in the back of the head; Eric's missile dropkick hit its target and Cena fell to the floor. With Randy still on the ground, Eric took his opportunity and put John in the Camel Clutch. Even though he was still dazed from the RKO, Eric pulled back as hard as he could. Cena felt pain shoot throughout his spine and his neck compressed as if it were in a vice. Adrenaline coursed through Eric; he was just seconds from winning the title.

But he suffered the same fate Cena did when Randy whacked him from behind with a well-placed side kick. Matt breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Randy pick Eric up and put in him the suplex position. However, he freaked out when Randy hit the MKO. Matt felt both excited and angry; the match would be over soon, but Matt was furious at Randy stealing his move.

"_I guess its fair payback after I RKOed Kane."_

"1, 2, 3!"

"Here is your winner and **still** Intercontinental Champion, Randy Orton!"

* * *

Randy walked back into the locker room, the belt on his shoulder, and was welcomed with hugs and applause from the Evolution members. 

"Like my MKO?"

"I still do it better", Matt said after embracing his brother. Camilla gave Randy a short hug and Hunter shook Orton's hand. Batista nodded his head in approval with a slight grin on his face.

"Looks like that belt isn't going anywhere anytime soon", the Animal commented.

"Not if I can help it!" Matt chimed out.

The night progressed quickly. The rest of Evolution's matches were shifted towards the end of the night. Matt would be first with Camilla right afterwards and then Hunter. After the WWE Tag Team Championship match, a video package played detailing the history between Kane and Matthew. Matt watched it, taking deep breaths every few seconds. Randy sat down beside him.

"You ready for this?"

"I thi … yeah. Yeah, I'm ready."

"If he tries anything fishy, we'll all be down there and tear down the cage door."

"I don't want any help. This is something I need to do by myself."

Randy hesitated, but nodded. "Alright. We'll be back here cheering you on."

Matt got up as the video package ended. Camilla watched as Randy got Matt pumped up, doing their usual chest bumps and headbutts and what not. As he was walking out of the locker room, Camilla stopped and kissed her fiancée.

"You be careful out there."

"I will."

Closing his eyes as he reached the stage, Matt could hear the crowd murmur as the lights focused on the cell. The sound guy looked up at him and Matt nodded. 'Line in the Sand' blared, and Matt walked onto the top of the ramp. He posed just like his brother, but with a much more serious look on his face. Again, the crowd had a mixed reaction; he was the least disliked of Evolution. Getting to ringside, Matt suddenly remembered his classmates sitting in the front row and looked over toward them.

They were cheering for him.

Despite them wearing DX shirts, they were cheering for him. They even had a sign that said "MKO" on it. Confidence swelled inside Matt, and for once, he thought he could beat Kane.

**BOOM!**

Matt jumped and turned around. The red fires were still sizzling as Kane started his trek down to the ring. Thinking quickly, he looked under the ring for a weapon.

"_This match is no disqualification and, by god, I'm going to take advantage of it."_

Grabbing a chair from under the ring, Matt climbed in and waited until Kane was facing him. The cell was lowered onto the ground and the door was padlocked. The bell rang and Matt snapped. He started smacking Kane around with the chair, first ramming it into his stomach, then on the head and across his back. When Kane dropped to one knee, Matt stepped back and kicked him hard across the side of the face.

But Kane stood straight up as if nothing had happened.

The Big Red Machine charged at Matt and wrapped one hand around Orton's throat, pushing him up against the turnbuckle. Matt could feel his breath slipping away, and it became incredibly hard just to move. Just when it felt like he was going to black out, Kane let go and walked over to the opposite turnbuckle. As his vision was coming back to him, Matt looked up and saw Kane as he rammed his knee straight in his face.

Backstage, Evolution cringed, worried that Matt might be knocked out. Kane dragged a limp Matt over to the center of the ring and went for the cover.

"1, 2, th…"

Orton somehow managed to pull himself together and lift a shoulder. Ringside, Matt's friends cheered and started yelling at him to get up. Barely hearing them, Matt started to climb to his feet, but couldn't see Kane at all. His instincts hit him, and he rolled forward, avoiding an attack from Kane. Looking behind him, Matt saw Kane holding the sledgehammer and getting ready for another swing. Panicking, Matt grabbed the nearby chair and swung wildly at Kane, hitting his knee. Kane screamed and fell to the mat.

"_I must have aimed right."_

An idea came to Matt. He rushed up to the turnbuckle and readied his somersault leg drop, but instead of aiming for Kane's neck, Matt made sure to aim for Kane's knee. Flipping in the air, Matt landed squarely on the injured knee and quickly went for the cover.

"1, 2, …"

Kane shoved Matt off of him before the three count with brute force. Hanging back to catch his breath, Matt watched his opponent try to get up, but Kane kept falling down, holding his knee. Angered, Matt walked over and started to lift Kane, putting him in the MKO position. But before Orton could pull his move off, Kane wrapped another hand around Matt's throat. On one leg, Kane managed to wiggle free of Matt's hold and lift Matt up for a chokeslam. However, instead of slamming him down on the canvas, Kane through him straight into the steel cell. Matt hit the back of his head hard and fell straight to the ground.

Camilla was nearly in tears, incredibly concerned about Matt. Randy was also worried; Matt still complained of pains in the back of his head before the match. Back in the ring, Kane managed to limp outside to find Matt pulling himself up using the side of the cell. Matt felt something warm on his back and reached back to feel it. When he looked at his hand, Matt nearly lost it; his fingers were covered in blood. He didn't feel woozy, but Matt knew he needed to get to a trainer immediately. However, Kane grabbed Matt by the back of the neck and grinded his forehead against the cell.

Screaming, Matt felt his forehead open up, and blood started to trickle down the front of his face. Kane stopped and literally tossed Matthew through the ropes and into the ring. Matt couldn't see at all and fumbled around on the mat to find one of the ring ropes.

His hand fell on the sledgehammer.

Smiling, Matt wiped his eyes clean and aimed at Kane's knee. Summoning all his remaining strength, Matt swung and hit his target. Kane fell like a giant redwood tree and, reacting quickly, Matt applied the Texas Cloverleaf. With blood on his face, chest, and his back, Matt reared back as hard as he could, wanting the match over with. Kane was screaming his head off; pain shot up through his back and his leg.

And then, the bell rang. Kane had tapped out.

"Here is your winner, Matthew Orton!"

Covered in red, Matt raised his arms in the air and did the trademark Orton pose, before stumbling out of the ring and out of the cell. The walk up the ramp seemed to take forever. Finally getting behind the curtain, Matt looked up to see Dave, Camilla, and Randy running towards him. Matt didn't hear words of congratulations. Matt didn't hear any words at all. He only felt himself being carried somewhere. He was put down on his back on what felt like a table, and felt someone touch his forehead and the back of his head.

Then everything went black.

* * *

Randy and Camilla were going bonkers. Matt had passed out from blood loss, and it looked like he wasn't going to wake up. 

"Camilla! You're on!" Hunter yelled from the hallway.

She looked at Randy with tears rolling down her cheeks. The thought of a match didn't matter at all right now, especially with Matthew in this condition.

"Go on. I've got him", Randy said.

"No … I can't … I just can't leave him like this!"

"Camilla, you need to go compete! Matt wouldn't want you to miss your title shot!"

"You're … you're right. Randy, if I come back and he's dead, I'm going to rip your freaking head off!"

Randy chuckled. "That's the Camilla I know. Matt's going to be okay. Now go get your title!"

Before walking out of the trainer's room, Camilla looked back at Randy standing over Matt's body one last time. She dashed off to the stage, leaving them behind.

"_I __**hope**__ he's going to be okay"_, Randy thought to himself. The trainer worked furiously to stitch up Matt; the younger Orton was lucky that the cuts weren't any bigger.

Several minutes passed. Randy had no idea how Camilla was doing, and he had no idea when Matthew would wake up. Every few seconds, Randy looked over at his brother, still unconscious. He knew that Matt would come to eventually, but there was that feeling … that one-in-a-million chance that … that …

After Matt was cleaned off of blood and completely stitched up, the trainer waved some smelling salts under his nose. Matt's head shuddered a bit and he opened his eyes slowly.

"Matt! Can you hear me?" Randy asked.

"Ca … Camilla … is … is she wi … is she winning?"

"I don't know. She left for the match about fifteen minutes ago and there's no monitor in here."

"Help … help me up."

Batista walked into the room at that moment, and helped Randy take Matt to Evolution's locker room.

"Matthew!"

Camilla ran up and would have tackled Matt down if it weren't for Randy and Dave holding him steady.

"Camilla … owww … you're hurting me."

"I'm just glad that you're okay."

Matt eyes wandered to the other side of the room, where he saw something else shining beside the Intercontinental title.

"You … _won_, Camilla?"

"You expected anything less? Of course I won! I slapped her around a couple of times, gave her an MKO …"

"I missed that?!"

"It was flawless, too", added Batista.

"So Evolution has the Intercontinental title and the Women's title. Where's Hunter?"

"His match is already underway. Do you think you can still do this?"

"I'm fine. I'm a little weak, but I'm not letting that stop us tonight. Has someone gotten Cena yet?"

"He should be heading this way. I just got off the phone with him", answered Dave.

"Good. Hunter will lose the title and we'll be on top of RAW."

Randy, Dave, and even Camilla smiled. Once Cena got to the room, Evolution would enter a new phase. DX would be on the endangered species list and natural selection would soon take its course. Matt went out to a nearby vending machine to get some root beer and ran into Eric.

"The plan hasn't changed has it?"

"No. You guys come in, distract the ref, I 'accidentally' spear him down, then we all go to work on Hunter. We just need to make sure the Rock doesn't get in the way."

"That won't be a problem. We'll see you out there."

As Eric walked away, Matt questioned himself.

"_Am I really going to do this? Am I really going to destroy the friendship between us again? …"_

"…_of course I am."_

Upon getting back to the locker room, Matt saw Cena sitting next to Randy and Dave, getting informed of the plan one last time. Camilla watched the match progress; it seemed like Triple H and Shawn were working together against the Rock momentarily. The crowd started to cheer and Eric and Jeff appeared on the stage and ran down the long walkway to the ring.

"Guys! It's time!" yelped Camilla.

Everyone got up and took one last breath before zipping out the door. Matt lagged behind a bit in a slow stride, but his determination didn't waiver. Behind the ref's back, Eric had dragged the Rock out of the ring while Jeff was distracting the ref from the apron. Batista was the first to make it to ringside and readied his spear. Jeff moved at the last second and the ref was taken down, just as planned. Randy, John, and Matt made their way to ringside as well, and it seemed like Triple H was going to keep the title.

With the Rock out cold on the floor, Jeff and Eric climbed back into the ring, where Evolution and D-Generation X faced each other down. Shawn, Jeff, and Eric staring down Hunter, Matthew, Randy, Dave, and now John.

Matt was a little confused; why wasn't Hunter surprised at John's appearance?

The crowd was silent. They wanted an all out brawl, but it looked as if DX was outnumbered. Matt nudged Randy and all of Evolution turned towards Hunter. However, DX sprung, with Eric going after Matt, Jeff going after Randy, Shawn going after John and … _Hunter going after Dave?!_

Eric attacked the back of Matt's head, easily knocking down the younger Orton. Randy tried to save Matt, but was taken down by Jeff with a jawbreaker. Shawn reversed an FU into some Sweet Chin Music and Hunter managed to hit a Pedigree on Cena. On the mat, Matt was bewildered and confused.

"_No … Hunter knew … and now … he's __**joining **__DX!?"_

Eric climbed out of the ring and went to the timekeeper, snatching the chair he was sitting on. Hunter smiled and watched as he lifted the chair above a stumbling Randy. Orton's head was sent spinning as Eric brought down the chair, steel hitting loud against flesh and bone.

Evolution had been stopped. Natural selection had taken place.

The Rock was dragged back into the ring as Shawn picked up the referee and rolled him back into the ring. As the ref came to, he counted to three to Hunter covering Rocky.

"Here is your winner and …"

Jeff snatched the microphone from the ring announcer and quickly tossed to Triple H.

"Tonight was a long time in the making. Ever since the Royal Rumble, I knew that the scumbags I took under my wing were getting out of control. The _head_ scumbag here … Hunter pointed down to Matthew … was behind the whole deal. I was supposed to lose here. They were the ones that were supposed to emerge anew. But I wasn't going to let that happen. After I, fortunately, ran into Eric backstage, he told me _everything_. Now … I am not _joining_ DX. I am **taking** … **it** … **over**."

Hunter, Shawn, Eric, and Jeff all raised their arms in triumph. Eric gave Matt a last kick in the stomach before climbing out of the ring accompanied by a chorus of boos. Drinks were being thrown at them. Torn DX signs lobbed at them while they were walking up the ramp. Michael, Adrian, and Travis were disgusted wearing the DX logo on their chests. Camilla couldn't believe her eyes as she watched Batista, Cena, and both Ortons on the mat, either knocked out or groaning in pain.

* * *

_Um. Yeah. So ends WrestleMania. Randy, Camilla, and Matthew win their matches, but Hunter pulls a fast one on them in the end. Eric betrays Matt before Matt could betray Eric._

_Please review! Hope you liked it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	34. Catharsis

_Right after WrestleMania XIX, Matt tries to pick up the pieces and find out how and why Eric betrayed him the night before. Will he be able to get the answers he wants on Monday Night RAW? _

_Like sand through the hourglass, these are the days of ... never mind.  
_

* * *

"How could this happen?" 

Batista paced inside the Evolution locker room just a few minutes before RAW would begin. Matt hadn't said a word since last night; he was sitting in the corner looking at the wall, his head bandaged from the Hell in a Cell match. Cena and Randy were banged up, but were up and walking. Camilla had been trying to communicate with Matt the whole day, but couldn't get anything out of him.

"How could this happen?", Batista repeated. "How could Eric find the reason to betray us like that?"

Cena, Randy, and Camilla had nothing to reply with. They had no answers. But Matt was trying to think.

"_What the hell am I going to do? I'm the one responsible for this. And I'm the one who has to set it right."_

Still silent, Matt got up and walked towards the door. The rest of Evolution was stunned as Matt left; they knew not either why or where Matt was going. The trek was a long and slow one, but Matt reached the sound guy just as the opening pyrotechnics for RAW finished.

"Microphone."

That's all the man behind the sound equipment needed to hear. Matt received a microphone and stood behind the curtain as Evolution's theme music started to play. He stepped out alone, no pose, no pyro, no smirk on his face. He had no reason to. With a nearly blank stare on his face, Matt climbed the steel steps and stepped in between the ropes to the center of the ring. Looking around, he saw the immense number of anti-DX signs. Just the week before, the same signs were hating Evolution instead of DX.

"_One night can do wonders to a crowd…"_

"Last night … last night Evolution was blindsided. Evolution had a plan. And it didn't pan out. You see, the only reason Evolution was formed was so Triple H could keep the World Heavyweight Championship around his waist."

Orton paused as major boos came from the crowd.

"The only thing Hunter didn't anticipate was his lackeys coming to their senses and realizing that he would only hold them back. We were to be his personal trophies. The belts that we would come across would only look good because _he_ would claim that _he_ trained us."

Matt looked at the announce table to see J.R. and King nodding in agreement.

"Two weeks ago on RAW, I was blackmailed. I was ordered to attack HBK after his match that night by Triple H. If I refused … Hunter would attack my brother. Hunter _used_ my own flesh and blood to control me … and it worked. He knew that the bond between Randy and I was too strong and used that to his advantage. I regret what I did to HBK that night. The same goes to the Rock the week after that."

Murmurs came from the crowd, along with a few claps.

"In addition to that, Eric Barringer had been wanting for weeks to pull me away from Evolution. He wanted me to join DX. But I said no. I would only join if Randy wanted to, and Randy flat out told me no. But apparently, Eric didn't want to take no for an answer."

More boos. Loud ones came from ringside, and Matt looked down to see the same three friends that sat at ringside last night, this time wearing Evolution t-shirts.

"Before I found this out, I had made a plan with Eric Barringer, Jeff Hardy, and John Cena to help me take down Triple H. We would interfere in the RAW main event and make it look like Evolution was going to attack Shawn Michaels. However, we would _embarrass_ Triple H and turn on him then, beating him to a bloody pulp. Right now, _Shawn Michaels is supposed to be the World Heavyweight Champion!_"

A mixed reaction occurred. The crowd didn't know whether to boo or cheer.

"Eric knew that I wasn't going to join DX. But, with the removal of Triple H from Evolution, there would be no more hostility between our two groups! Evolution and D-Generation X would then respect each other and matches between members of each faction were no longer going to be full of hate, but full of competition and respect! But last night, someone didn't want it to be that way. Eric, I want some damn answers, and I want them **NOW!**"

Matt lowered the microphone and waited with his arms crossed in the ring. Sweat started to cover the bandage on his head, and Orton's face was turning red with frustration.

"**BREAK IT DOWN!**"

Eric walked out onto the stage, microphone in hand. The crowd was going nuts at this point, yelling obscenities and waving their signs in the air.

"Is that true, Matt? DX and Evolution were to co-exist?"

Lying through his teeth, Matt responded. "It was all going to be about respect after WrestleMania, Eric. Shawn would have had the gold, and, make no doubt about it, all four of us were going to come after it. But no more of this sledgehammer crap. No more of these behind the back steel chair attacks. We would have earned our title shots fair and square!"

"I … I don't know what to say. I thought it would continue on like it had been. I thought Triple H had ingrained his style too far into you for you to come to your senses. I guess … I guess I was wrong."

"Damn right you were! Eric, we may never go back to the level of friendship we had back in high school, but I still have respect for you! If Hunter had threatened to attack _you_ instead of Randy two weeks ago, I wouldn't have changed anything I did. I would have done what Hunter told me to do without question."

Eric was speechless. All the hate had melted from his mind and he started to regret what happened the night before.

"I … I was worried. I was worried that you would just betray me again. And I guess I had to pull something on you before you pulled something on me."

DX's music hit again, and Shawn Michaels and Jeff Hardy walked out onto the stage. Jeff took the microphone from Eric.

"You know, Orton … I was wrong about you too. I was skeptical from the get go. I didn't trust you at all. I thought you would just stab Eric in the back again."

"Again? When did I ever stab Eric in the back? You know the two weeks before Mania was just an act to keep Hunter in the dark!"

"Bullshit! You betrayed Eric when you …"

Eric put up a hand to stop Jeff. Hardy handed Eric the microphone back. "No … he's right. He wasn't the one to betray me. I betrayed him by leaving Evolution. DX wouldn't have existed if I didn't think that … well … it's a long story."

"_**It's time to play the game…**_"

For the first time that night, Matt was angry. Triple H stepped out onto the stage and snatched the microphone from Eric. But before Hunter could say anything, Shawn snatched the microphone for himself.

"You know Hunter, what you said last night got me thinking. You said that you weren't _joining_ DX, but rather _taking it over_. It must have slipped by my mind … I was ecstatic to have my best friend back in the fold and didn't think about it."

"So all that talk backstage was for nothing? The reunification of DX means nothing to you?"

"The reunification of DX means _everything _to you because you think it's all about _you_. But _you_ know more than anybody that DX isn't about just _you_. Its about all of _us_. There is no leadership. Seniority, maybe, but _no_ leadership. And after hearing that ki … Shawn pointed at Matthew… man pour his heart out in front of all these people, I'm not going to let you turn us into your personal bodyguards either."

Matt smiled. Shawn was smart enough to see through what Triple H had in store.

"As for that title … Orton's 100 right. It should be around _my _waist."

Before Hunter could retort, Bischoff's music hit and one more body occupied the stage.

"Well … certainly a change of events. But, being the incredible GM that I am, I've decided to already make a _giant_ match for the next pay-per-view. At Backlash, for the RAW main event, you, Triple H, will defend your World Heavyweight Championship against Shawn Michaels!"

The crowd burst into applause and cheers and Matt started to clap himself, getting the match he wanted for Shawn. He knew that his intentions for last night were gone. All the feelings he had were erased. In the process of wanting to appear in the right, Matt actually felt like he had done something right. After everyone cleared the stage, Matt walked back to the locker room and opened the Evolution locker room door. John, Dave, Camilla, and Randy greeted the younger Orton with applause and smiles. Camilla gave Matt a kiss and slapped him on the back.

"You sure fooled them out there."

"I didn't fool anybody. What I said out there is what I meant."

Everyone looked stunned.

"Before WrestleMania started, Dave pulled me to the side and said that I should replace Triple H as the leader of Evolution. I hesitated at first, but afterwards I really felt like I could step up to the job. But when I went out there tonight and I started blabbering to make myself look innocent, I realized that, with the way I would be going, I would have been no better than Hunter. Evolution would have been right back where we started. I don't want that to happen. Sure, I may be the leader, but I'm not going to turn into a tyrant like Triple H."

Matt only needed to look at Batista's smirk of approval to smile. Cena also nodded in agreement, Randy and Camilla following suit. Randy got up and embraced his brother.

"That was one hell of a birthday present."

* * *

Later that night, it was made known that since Kane's knee was damaged badly from the Hell in a Cell match the night before, the World Tag Team Championships had to be vacated. Naturally, Rob Van Dam was furious and vowed to get them back. There would be an six-team round robin tournament to determine the two teams that would face off at Backlash for the titles. Several matches were to take place over the weeks both on RAW and on Sunday Night Heat. Matt only saw this as an opportunity. 

"Randy … wanna tag up for this thing?"

"Don't you want your title back?" Randy pointed to the Intercontinental belt on his waist. "Let Batista and Cena tag up and go for the tag titles."

"Hey now …", Batista interjected. "… I wanted to gun for a shot at Hunter's gold."

"I think you're a little out of luck there, Dave. Shawn's already got the title shot wrapped up at Backlash."

"That doesn't mean I can't prove that I'm #1 contender material", Dave said, raising his voice.

Randy backed off, sensing the seriousness in Batista's voice.

John decided to speak up. "Yo, Matt. What about me and you team up, huh? We've been wantin' to do this since Smackdown and now we got us a chance to step up and earn the belts. Whaddya say?"

Matt looked over to his brother, who shrugged. "It's your decision", Randy said.

"I think I'll come back for you later. For now, 'homeboy' and I are gunning for those belts." Cena smiled and the two exchanged high-fives. "Besides … I think you and Eric have another score to settle."

"_Another_ score to settle? I whipped his ass all over the ring last night!"

"That wasn't exactly one-on-one. Knowing him, he'll want a rematch."

"Put it on the Backlash card and I'm happy."

"Tell that to Bischoff then."

The first match of the tournament was already underway: La Résistance vs. the Dudley Boyz. That meant Matt and John would either face off against Three Minute Warning, Test and Scott Steiner, or Rob Van Dam and his newly found tag team partner and fellow ECW Original, Tommy Dreamer.

"What's the game plan?"

"Constant pressure. Isolate one of them in our corner and don't let up."

"You're all about the competition, aren't you, bro?"

Matt chuckled. "That's all I've been about since the beginning, man. You know that."

They heard the bell ring and looked at the monitor. The Dudley Boyz had emerged victorious and were now walking back up the ramp. Matt knew that their match would be next and the pair made their way to wait behind the curtain.

"Ready for this? Even with your head like that?"

"Injuries won't stop me. Not when the prize is this big."

Cena smiled and the friends stepped out onto the stage with 'Line in the Sand' blaring. For the first time since he debuted, Matt received a full positive reaction from the crowd. Grinning from ear to ear, Matt posed while Cena did his usual hand gestures, which Matt still found hilarious.

"The following contest is a round robin tournament tag team match, and it is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, weighing in at a combined 479 pounds, the team of John Cena and Matthew Orton, Evolution!"

After John and Matt reached the ring, they realized who their opponents were after spying Bischoff sitting beside the timekeeper.

"Did somebody say _three minutes?_"

Matt and John rolled their eyes. That was getting a little old.

"Introducing their opponents, at a combined 708 pounds, the team of Rosey and Jamal, Three Minute Warning!"

Cena and Orton knew that they had one hell of a task in front of them. Matt remembered back to when he watched Survivor Series last year and the intense tables math between Three Minute Warning and the Dudley Boyz. Rosey and Jamal were made of power moves; Matt decided that the best strategy was to stick to the one that got him the win against Kane: attacking the joins and using submission holds.

"You or me first?" Matt asked his partner.

"You go first. Beat 'em up a little and then let me at 'em!"

Matt nodded in agreement and John stepped onto the apron. Rosey would start out, but it didn't matter which of them would be first. The bell rang and Matt let Rosey charge straight at him. At the last second, Orton moved and Rosey collided chest first with the turnbuckle. Smirking, Matt moved to the opposite corner. He raised up his arms holding an imaginary red cape and waved it around like a bullfighter. The crowd had a hearty chuckle as Rosey took the bait again. This time, Matt executed a drop toe hold, sending Rosey's head down onto the bottom turnbuckle.

Enraged, Jamal climbed in and laid Matt out with one well placed punch to the head. The ref had to restrain both Jamal and an incoming John. Matt's head was pulsing, making him groan out in pain through gritted teeth. He felt the bandages quickly on his head to see if the cuts had reopened, but fortunately, nothing was there. Matt looked up to see John back on the apron and extending his hand out for the tag. Disoriented, both Rosey and Matt started to make their way to their corners. Orton was faster and made the tag. John managed to climb in quickly and catch Rosey, attacking the back of the knees and his lower back.

Jamal once again tried to interfere, but a recovered Matt speared Jamal back through the ropes. Holding the back of his head, Matt nodded over to his partner. They both lugged Rosey to his feet and Cena hoisted the big man onto his shoulders. The crowd was going nuts as Matt climbed up to the turnbuckle. Setting up Evolution's signature finisher, Natural Selection, Matt positioned himself correctly and jumped in the air as Cena slammed Rosey down with an FU. Orton's leg hit squarely on Rosey's throat. As Matt got up, John rolled Rosey over on his stomach and locked in what looked like a stepover toehold sleeper. Cena reared back as hard as he could on Rosey's neck, using all his upper body strength.

Out of the corner of Matt's eye, he saw Jamal climbing back into the ring with something large in his hand. Realizing that it was a steel chair, Matt grabbed and powered the chair away from Jamal. Throwing it out of the ring, Matt kicked Jamal hard in the side of the knee, putting the bigger man on his other knee.

"_Am I really going to try to pull this off?"_

Orton put Jamal's head under his arm and signaled for the MKO. Cena was still applying his hold and watched as Matt slowly but surely lifter Jamal up and rammed his head down into the canvas. The force of his own weight knocked Jamal out. At that moment, Rosey tapped out.

"Here are your winners, Matthew Orton and John Cena!"

The partners gave each other a high-five and embraced before raising their arms in triumph.

"One hell of a tag team, huh?" Cena asked.

"What the heck do you call that?", Matt asked, referring to the hold Cena had Rosey in.

"The STFU."

Matt chuckled. "By this time next month, we'll be tag team champions."

* * *

The main event of the evening turned out to be a handicap match: Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy and Eric Barringer. Matt wanted to stay and watch, but he had to throw together a party for Randy tomorrow. Besides, Batista was pissed off that Bischoff didn't give him a match at all. Leaving the arena seemed like a good idea to everyone else. 

Once everything was packed away, Camilla managed to book a flight back to St. Louis, leaving in about two hours. Luckily, the flight wasn't that crowded and no one recognized them; it would be a nice and peaceful trip home.

Or so they thought.

Camilla, Matt, and Randy sat next to each other on the plane.

"So what did you get me?" Randy asked.

"Do you really think I would tell you? You'll just have to wait."

"Oh, come on!"

"If you keep asking me, I'll return it!"

Randy immediately shut his mouth. Camilla giggled and whispered over to Matt.

"You know you two act like little kids eighty percent of the time."

"Duh. We're …"

"Brothers. Yeah, I've heard that before. It doesn't change how childish you two come off as."

"Oh, shut it. You're starting to sound like mom."

Big mistake. Camilla punched Matt hard in the shoulder. Randy stifled back laughter, only to receive a strong punch from his brother in the shoulder. Naturally, Randy punched Matt back and started a chain of punches between the two.

"_What the hell did I start?"_, Camilla thought to herself. Batista eventually had to kick the back of Randy's seat hard to stop the madness. Eventually, the group arrived at St. Louis around 1:00 AM; most everyone was extremely tired. Once at the Orton household, everybody crashed: Batista in the guest house, Cena on the couch, Randy in his room, and Matt and Camilla in their room.

As Matt was changing, Camilla whistled as he took off his shirt.

"I never told you how good those tattoos make you look."

"Heh … had to follow the Orton tradition, ya know."

"But seriously now. We need to talk about the wedding."

"Now? Camilla, its past one in the morning. Can't this wait until Wednesday? I still have to set up Randy's party."

"Oh please. This won't take long and you'll end up sleeping until noon anyway."

"Okay … fine. What did you want to talk about?"

"The date. That's all I'm really concerned about."

"Well … the first big gap between pay-per-views doesn't happen until June after Bad Blood, assuming you want it on a Sunday."

"Yep. We can have it here at the house on the first Sunday in July."

"Huh. That was quick."

"I told you. Now go to sleep. I'm waking you up at 8:00 so you can get started."

"8:00?! How about 9:00?"

"8:00."

"8:30?"

"8:00!"

"… fine."

* * *

_Matt manages to rid himself of the negativity that's plagued him and turned face, along with the whole of Evolution. He managed to reconcile with Eric … again, and has set things right with DX. But, Evolution still has the goal of getting all the belts on RAW … honorably. Randy has the Intercontinental belt and Camilla has the Women's title. Batista wants the World Heavyweight Championship and John and Matt are working towards the World Tag Team Championships._

_Will Evolution be successful in getting all the belts? And what's in store for them next Monday?_

_Hope you liked it. Please review!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	35. Intuition

_First, we'll celebrate Randy turning 22. Then, we'll go to next Monday night, where Evolution gains one more enemy. Who is it and who will this new Superstar target?_

_Read on!_

* * *

"Hey … wake up! Matt, get up! It's 8:00!" 

"….what?...5 more minutes…."

"No! You're getting up right now!"

"...just let me sleep…"

Camilla sighed. "Fine. I didn't want to have to do this." Pushing with both hands, Camilla managed to shove Matt on the bed; a loud thump sounded and Matt groaned, sitting up immediately.

"Why the hell did you do that?"

"To wake you up, idiot! Now go get to work on Randy's party! Everyone will start to come at noon. Go get his cake, and some root beer, and some plastic forks and knives, and some paper plates …"

After grabbing some clothes, Matt walked out of the room towards the shower to get away from Camilla's 'list voice'.

"_Wait a minute … 'everyone will start to come at noon'? Who the hell did she invite? Jeez … I thought __**I**__ was the one planning this thing."_

Matt opened the bathroom door to find the room filled with steam and the loud sound of running water.

"Goddammit, Randy, lock the door when you're taking a shower!"

"What?"

"Lock the door when you're taking a shower!"

"What?"

"Ugh … never mind." Matt closed the door and walked downstairs, headed to the first floor bathroom. He tried to open the door, but it was locked as well. Matt surmised that it was Cena, because there was no one on the couch.

"_Now what? I might as well jump in the pool."_

The door suddenly opened, hitting Matt square in the face. Cena emerged and checked on Orton.

"Oh … sorry, bro. You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. I think", Matt replied, holding his forehead. "Just move so I can take a shower. I need to hurry and get this party ready." Matt rushed in and closed the door.

"Dude, your mom left for the grocery store this morning. She's been gone for an hour!"

Very slowly, Matt opened the door. "Then why did Camilla wake me up this early?"

A voice came from the stairwell. "Just to mess with you! I knew you would wait until the last minute to start getting ready, so I asked your mother to help me gather the things for today."

"So … I could have slept in?!"

"Yeah … but where's the fun in that?"

Cena started to laugh, prompting Matt to slap him hard on the back of his head. John looked to retaliate, but Matt shut and locked the door behind him before John could do anything. Batista walked in from the guest house and fixed himself some breakfast. Randy eventually came down from upstairs as well; everyone was now waiting for Matt to come to the table.

"What the hell is taking him so long?" asked Randy. "I'm about to …"

As if he recognized his cue, Matt came into the room with a large brown box.

"It's about damn time!"

"Hey, I'd think you'd be a little more grateful on your birthday!"

"What makes you think that? This day is all about me!"

The room went silent as everyone shot Randy a glare. Matt chuckled in disbelief and shook his head.

"One of these days, you're going to piss one of us off and regret it, Randy."

Randy heard Batista pop his knuckles and quickly cooled off. Matt opened the box and shuffled around, looking for something.

"Now … this is as much of a gift to all of us as it is a gift for my ass of a brother." Matt picked up something and tossed it in Randy's face.

"_Another shirt?"_, Randy thought to himself as he unfolding the mass of black cloth in front of him. But as he realized what was on the shirt, Randy jumped up and smiled.

"Well? What is it?"

Instead of answering, Randy took off the shirt he was wearing and put the one in his hand on. On the front of the black shirt was a golden silhouette of Randy posing with the Intercontinental title, the Evolution logo below the picture.

"I submitted that design to the merchandise department in Connecticut and they approved it. After a few weeks, people will be able to buy it on the website and at events. But I didn't leave everyone out." Matt tossed a shirt each to Camilla, Batista, and Cena. Soon, everyone, including Matt himself, was wearing a shirt with a golden silhouette of themselves.

"This is pretty cool, yo. I could get used to this gold thing", Cena commented.

Randy got up, went over to his brother, and gave him a big hug.

"You know, you always pull something awesome out of your hat."

"No doubt about that. And me, Cena, and Batista will be wearing more gold than just the shirt soon."

The doorbell rang, and Camilla shot up and ran to the door.

"I guess Torrie's here", Matt said. "She said she invited at least one more person."

"At least? Is she trying to keep it a secret?", Randy queried.

"Maybe. I …"

Torrie came into the room, running into Randy's arms. The two kissed for what seemed like a really long time. Everyone starting moving around to avoid the awkwardness and to help Elaine, Matt and Randy's mom, who had just arrived with the groceries. Randy and Torrie moved to the hallway while everyone else was preparing the food.

"I was thinking about you all weekend", Torrie declared quietly.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you right now. Seeing Matt and Camilla cuddling and kissing on each other riles me up."

"Aww … Randy gets jealous of his little brother?"

"Well … not really … but … yes."

Torrie giggled. "Oh, come on. They love each other, we love each other. That's all that really matters. Here. Let me give you your birthday present." She pulled out a small jewelry case. For a split second, Randy thought Torrie was going to ask him.

But inside the case was a little metal heart, split down the middle. Torrie took one piece for herself, attached it to her necklace, and gave the other piece to Randy.

"Wear this. Whenever you feel jealous of your brother and Camilla, remember that you've always got a piece of my heart with you."

Randy could see the cliché coming, but, to him, it meant everything.

"Thank you. I … I can't think of anything else to say."

"You don't have to. I can understand everything you're thinking just by looking at your face."

Orton felt wobbly. He always acted tough in front of the rest of Evolution, but Torrie was the only one who could make him feel like he was going to cry.

"Randy! Torrie! The food's ready!", Camilla called out.

The couple smiled, kissed each other again quickly, and rushed back into the kitchen. Typical party fare was on the counter: hot dogs, nachos, cookies, cola, and the big cake at the end of the table. The doorbell rang again, and Matt went to go open it this time. He opened the door, root beer in hand, and nearly dropped it.

Eric was standing in front of him.

"Hey … um … Camilla invited me."

Surprisingly, Matt didn't feel any anger. In fact, a smirk came over his face.

"Come on in."

* * *

Monday night rolled around, and RAW took place in a town near home: Corpus Christi, Texas. Matt was hopping around, eager to take on the next team in the tournament. So eager, in fact, that he was the one to get the copy of the card for the night. After leaving Bischoff's office, he took a glance. 

"_La Résistance, huh? The Dudleys squashed them last week. That'll be no problem. Let's see … Eric and Randy? Non-title though. Camilla's not on the card again … she's not gonna be happy. No Dave either. Jeez, he __**definitely **__won't be happy. He's been dying to get in the ring since WrestleMania."_

Matt made it to the locker room, where everyone was looking at the monitor.

"What's going on?"

"Triple H has something up his sleeve. Look", Randy replied.

Orton joined the group of eyes on the monitor and saw Hunter in the ring with a microphone. All the usual banter came out of Hunter's mouth; Matt sat down and stopped paying attention after a good five minutes of it. Batista was about to get up and speak his mind, but unfamiliar music started to play. Everyone looked back at the TV to see Kevin Nash walk onto the stage.

"Great … another one of Hunter's old friends to deal with", Dave said. "Now we've got to watch our backs even more."

"As if we didn't have enough on our plate already", Matt replied.

"Right now, you and Cena are the only one's with anything to worry about! Randy and Camilla have titles, you two will have titles soon enough, **I want a title and I'm going to make myself known!**"

Batista stormed out of the room towards the stage.

"Should we chase after him?", asked Cena.

"No. This is something he has to deal with. We have our own things to worry about. We have those French guys tonight, John. And Randy, you face Eric. Non-title. Camilla … you get to sit back again."

"What?! Goddammit!" Camilla punched Matt in the back.

"OWW! What the hell was that for?"

"You were closest."

Matt rolled his eyes and started to walk over to his bag. However, DX's music blared from the monitor, getting everyone's attention yet again. Shawn Michaels had come out to the stage, apparently in support of Batista.

"Hunter, you can't stop, can't you? You can't own up to the fact that you are _nothing_ without someone by your side. You made Evolution to keep that belt around your waist, you used D-Generation X to do the same thing, and now you're brainwashing Kevin too!? Wow … you must be real desperate to keep that belt. You see, all it means to you is a shiny piece of gold. You're taking all the meaning out of that belt. If the World Heavyweight Championship were on my waist or Batista's waist, it would bring back the spirit of competition that not only we want, but all these fans want as well!"

A huge pop came from the crowd, Batista nodding in agreement. Shawn handed the microphone to Batista.

"I couldn't have said it better myself. But we've tried to send you this message before, Hunter. And if you won't change yourself, maybe we'll have to beat it into you. You and your next crony there against me and Shawn. **Tonight!**"

Batista's music started to play and Dave shook hands with Shawn. Backstage, the rest of Evolution smiled. Now each one of them either had a belt or was on the road to one.

* * *

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall and it is part of the Round Robin Tournament for the World Tag Team Championship!" 

'Line in the Sand' started to play, and Matt and John walked out onto the stage, making belt motions around their waists. The crowd greeted them warmly, still excited over the main event tag team match made later for tonight. Matt basked in the applause, not remembering a bigger greeting since his second match ever.

"We should have brought a U.S. flag down with us", mentioned Orton.

"They'll probably try to use their flagpoles as weapons."

"We won't let that happen."

La Résistance then came down to the ring, complete with French flags and weird outfits. They brought the flags into the ring, but the referee forced them to toss them outside. While Duprée and Sylvan had their backs turned, Matt nudged John.

"Let's get this started already."

John nodded and the two charged at the Frenchmen, Matt clotheslining Duprée over the top rope and Cena whipping Sylvan to the opposite turnbuckle. After forcing Matt to his corner, the ref finally called for the bell. Cena knocked Sylvan down with a strong shoulder block, then repeated the move one more time when Sylvan got to his feet. Matt yelled out to Cena for a tag and quickly got his wish. He climbed in eagerly and dropkicked Sylvan against the turnbuckle. Orton stepped back somewhat for a running splash, but was clubbed from behind by Duprée with a strong forearm to the back of his head. Wincing, Matt fell to one knee, allowing Sylvan to recover and start pounding on Matt's head. Orton was still weak from the previous attacks from Kane and Jamal, and Sylvan took full advantage of that. Matt tried to defend himself, trying to block the punches, but couldn't withstand several hard shots to the side of the head. Orton was dizzy and disoriented on the mat, hearing only Sylvan tag in Duprée.

Duprée continued the attack on Matt's head, stomping on the back of the head and neck. Finally, Matt was brought to his feet and Duprée was ready to suplex Orton. However, Matt blocked the suplex by wrapping his leg around Duprée's leg. With a strong punch to the stomach, Orton shook loose Duprée and reversed the position. The crowd was surprised to see Matt lift up Duprée and slam him down with an MKO. Both men were now laid out on the mat, and Cena desperately reached out for a tag. The ref started a ten count and neither man was moving by the count of five. Backstage, Evolution was going nuts screaming at the television, urging Matt to get up.

At the count of seven, Matt started to pull himself up using the ring ropes. Cena wanted a tag, but Matt would have none of it; instead of going for a tag, Matt ran at Sylvan and knocked him off the apron. Turning around, Duprée was stumbling around in the middle of the ring. Fueled only by anger, Matt set Duprée up for something he hadn't used in quite a while: not one, not two, but the triple powerbomb. Afterwards, Cena was completely stunned when Matt stood over Duprée and raised an open palm in the air.

"Get in here, dammit!"

Realizing what Orton wanted, Cena grinned and stepped in, raising his own open palm in the air.

"**YOU CAN'T SEE ME!**", the crowd exclaimed. Matt and John both rebounded off the ropes, did the little jig, and slammed their fists directly onto Duprée's forehead. Sylvan started to climb into the ring, but Cena prevented him from interfering using a quick baseball slide. Matt quickly applied his Texas Cloverleaf, rearing back like there was no tomorrow. With Duprée nearly knocked out to begin with, he quickly tapped out.

"Here are your winners, John Cena and Matthew Orton!"

Matt, shaking off the pain in his head, posed on the turnbuckle. However, he was not aware of an enraged Sylvan creeping up behind him with the wooden part of the French flag, raised to strike. Reacting quickly, John snatched the flag out of Sylvan's hands, threw it out of the ring, and lifted Sylvan up for the FU. Turning around, Matt saw the situation and positioned himself for Natural Selection. As Cena slammed Sylvan down, Matt's leg came crashing down on the neck, leaving both members of La Résistance out cold.

"I … I owe you one, John", Matt commented, holding the back of his head.

"I got your back, man. Don't ever forget that."

Matt retrieved the flag from outside the ring and draped it over his fallen opponents before walking back up the ramp. Getting back to the locker room, Camilla gave both team members a big hug, celebrating their 2-0 record in the tournament.

"You guys are in first place! It's only a few weeks 'till you guys practically are _given_ the belts!"

"Well, hold on now. Don't go saying that. We still have to earn them, babe", Matt replied.

Orton looked over to his older brother and was a little surprised to see him rather calm and indifferent to what was going on around him. Matt walked over to Randy and sat down next to him.

"What's on your mind?"

"You know that funny feeling you have before something really bad happens?"

"Yeah."

"I've got that feeling right now."

"Your match is non-title, don't you remember?"

"It's not that. I just have a feeling that Hunter or Nash is going to pull something tonight. Dave could be in for a surprise."

"Randy, it's not like Dave can't defend himself. He's smart enough to know what sort of things Hunter can do. Besides, he's gonna have Shawn there with him. And if anything else happens, we'll go down there ourselves."

Randy just sat there still, looking at the ground. Reluctantly, he got up and prepared for his match with Eric. Matt could tell that Randy was worried. This problem with Triple H was only growing, and the only way it was going to stop … well … he couldn't think of a way to stop it. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try to do something about it.

Matt got up and slipped out of the room, leaving everyone behind. He kept looking around backstage for Nash; if he could talk some sense into the big man, this whole thing could backfire in Triple H's face. And if Matt wasn't successful, he would take down Nash.

"_If I took Kane down, I can take Nash down. I'm not letting my brother become worried like that. He's going to lose focus and lose that title. The only person he can lose that title to is __**me**__."_

Turning a corner, Matt got his wish. He stopped just short of running into Kevin; he had a knack for running into people. Looking straight up into Nash's face, Matt discovered that he may have underestimated how big Kevin actually was; it seemed like Kane was shorter than Nash. That didn't shake his resolve though.

"What the hell do you want, Orton?"

"Hunter is just going to use…"

"Cut the crap, Orton! Nothing you say is going to make me change my mind. Hunter and I have been friends since you were just a little kid. What makes you think he would turn on me?"

"Are you a moron? Look at what's happened to Shawn! Hunter turned his back on him last year! Didn't you see SummerSlam? Didn't you see that hellacious match they had? Hunter dropped Shawn just to get to the top, and he won't hesitate to do the same to you!"

Nash suddenly grabbed Orton by the neck and slammed him up against the wall. The force nearly knocked Matt out, him only managing to keep his eyes open. The rest of his body was limp as Nash suspended him on the wall.

"Hunter will _not_ turn his back on me. And if you try again to convince me otherwise, you won't wake up after I get through with you."

Kevin finally let go and headed towards the stage. Matt fell to the floor in a lump, seeing the bright lights slowly fade away…

Meanwhile, in the ring, Randy and Eric had fought back and forth, momentum changing hands several times throughout the match. Only with a sudden RKO did Randy pick up the win. Afterwards, the two exchanged handshakes after Randy held the Intercontinental title up in the air.

"You deserve another shot at this."

"Damn right I do. Tell that to Bischoff."

"I don't think he'll deny you it."

Eric raised Randy's arm as a sign of good sportsmanship, and the two walked back up the ramp together. Just as they were about to split to their separate locker rooms, they spied someone on the ground, seemingly unconscious. As they got closer, Randy and Eric realized that it was Matthew. Randy ran over and tried to revive him, but to no avail. Together, they pulled Matt to Evolution's locker room.

Camilla shrieked and John hurried over to help Randy and Eric. Dave came from around the corner and caught Camilla as she fainted.

"What the hell happened to him?", Dave asked.

"I don't know! We found him like this in the hallway!", Randy replied. "Matt! Matt! Wake up, man! Come on!"

Randy was visibly shaken. He ran over to the bathroom sink with a small cup, filled it with water, and came back to throw it on Matt's face. Still nothing. Everyone looked on as Randy lost it, taking his brother in his arms and hugging him.

"Don't you leave me, dammit! Wake the hell up!"

Randy's funny feeling earlier was correct.

* * *

_What will become of Matt? Will they find out that Kevin was responsible for the attack? And how will this affect John and Matt's chances at the tag belts?_

_Hope you liked it! Don't forget to review!_

_I might not get the next chapter up for a while. I'm going to RAW Monday night here in Corpus Christi!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	36. Maturity

_Last time, Matthew's plan to try to get Kevin to come to his senses backfired, putting Orton in a bad way. Now, the brothers must deal with other consequences._

_Hope you like it! Enjoy._

* * *

The whole of Evolution plus Eric stood over Randy trying to revive Matt. A knock at the door revealed Shawn Michaels wondering where Batista was; the time for the main event was about to arrive. HBK saw the commotion and rushed over, offering his help. 

"Whoa. What happened? Is he bleeding?" asked Michaels.

"No. He's unconscious. We don't know what happened to him. Eric and I found him like this, and I can't get him to wake up and …"

"Hold on there, Orton. Calm down. You getting hysterical over this isn't going to help."

Randy tried to take a deep breath, but it didn't aid anything. Matt hadn't moved at all and it seemed like the possibility of Matthew … well, Randy didn't want to think about that. He looked up at Camilla's face and wondered if she was thinking about it; her eyes were wide open..

"Look! He's opening his eyes!"

Randy looked back down quickly at his brother. Matt slowly started to come to, Randy holding his head up a bit.

"…where … where is Nash?" the weakened Orton asked.

"Nash?!" Randy blurted out. "Did he do this to you?"

Matthew nodded slowly. Almost instantly, Randy shot up and started for the door.

"………wait … Randy …"

Hearing his brother's voice, Randy immediately shot back to his side. Matt took the time to get up and sit on a bench, clutching the back of his head and wincing with every step.

"He didn't do this to me randomly."

"What? You provoked him?"

"Yes. I thought … I thought I could convince him to stray away from Hunter. Obviously … that'd didn't work. If there's anyone you should be mad at, it's me."

Randy had the most confused look on his face as Shawn and Dave left the room. They couldn't spare anymore time; Shawn's music had already started to play.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Randy screamed at his little brother. "You go off by yourself and …"

"**Go off by myself**? Randy, I'm eighteen years old! I don't have to tell you every little thing I do! I can make decisions for myself!"

"But … but …" Randy tried to come up with a response, but couldn't find one. Matt was absolutely right, though. After a moment, Randy finally spoke up. "Why did you go out there?"

"I already told you! I thought I could…"

"No. There's another reason you did this. What is it?"

Hesitant, Matt could tell where this was going. "I wanted to make you stop worrying. All you had on your mind was how much trouble we are in with Hunter and I just wanted to help. Is that such a bad thing to do for a brother?"

"…so this is all my fault."

"**No!** Randy, I _chose _to do this! You had no part of it!"

"…but if I had never told you that, you wouldn't have been…"

"Randy, **shut the hell up!** Now you're pissing me off! All you're trying to do is find an excuse to shift the blame onto you!"

Matt could see Randy start to shake. Sighing, Matt went over to try to calm Randy down, but was stopped by Camilla.

"Just leave him alone. You're only making this worse."

"What the hell else I am supposed to do?! If I can't get Randy to snap out of this phase, he'll be a wreck for the rest of our careers!"

Suddenly, Camilla was shoved aside by a frustrated older brother.

"Matthew … you may be mature enough to deal with something like this, but **I'M NOT!** Inside, I'm still that five year old little kid, worrying about my little brother every single moment of my life. You know nothing of the magnitude of how that day affected me. I will _never_ get over that. I care more about you than Evolution. I care more about you than this Intercontinental belt. I care more about you than me! But if you don't appreciate that … fine. You don't have to deal with me anymore."

Randy then took the Intercontinental belt off his shoulder, shoved it in Eric's arms, and walked quietly out of the room. Matt was stunned, rooted to the spot until someone shoved him from behind.

"Don't just stand there, you moron!" Cena yelled. "Go get your brother!"

"Why should I? If he's more of a baby than I am, he doesn't deserve to be here."

_SLAP!_

Camilla hit Matt hard across the face. "Matt, all Randy wanted to do was take care of you, and you shoved it in his face! What's going to happen when you realize that I care about you just as much as he does?! Are you going to dump me? Are you going to let me go just like you did Randy?"

After a moment, Matt thought to himself, _"Dammit … what the hell did I just do?"_

Turning around, Matt slowly lumbered into the hallway, still holding his head. At the far end, near the exit doors, Matt spied Randy walking with his head down. Running as fast as he could without it hurting, Matt caught up with his brother just as he exited the building. In the hot Texas night air, Randy turned around and faced the brother he thought he had.

"What the hell do you want with me?"

"Randy, stop! At least let me try to …"

"Try to what? Huh? Just push me farther out of your life? To put the finishing touches on the …"

"**STOP THIS! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!**"

Both brothers stared at each other, silent.

"You're right. I won't ever comprehend how that night impacted you. And I shouldn't assume that just because I'm of age, I should do anything I want. I … I'm just still not used to having someone like you in my life."

Randy wiped a tear from his face just as his brother started to tear up. They embraced each other and Randy slapped Matt on the back.

"Come on. Stop bawling. If anyone sees us like this, we'll never hear the end of it."

"Then let's head back to the room. Maybe Eric will give you your belt back."

Randy chuckled and the two walked back into the building. As they re-entered the locker room, both were surprised to see it empty, Randy's belt on the floor face down. Matt heard something on the monitor and the brothers watched as Shawn, Batista, John, Jeff, and Eric were out cold on the ground. Both Nash and Hunter were standing tall, each holding sledgehammers. Matt shrunk in horror when he saw Camilla cowering in the corner of the ring. Nash and Hunter were slowly closing in on her.

"Good lord …", Randy said out loud.

"Come on! We've got to help her!"

The brothers dashed out of the room towards the ring. Meanwhile, Nash held Camilla in place while Hunter took aim. Camilla did her best to wriggle out of Nash's grip, but even her determination couldn't break the hold on her. She watched as Triple H grinned and lifted the hammer slowly. But the expression on his face quickly turned to that of if Hunter had seen a ghost. Dropping the sledgehammer, Triple H quickly rolled out of the ring, leaving Nash confused and bewildered. He let go of Camilla when two fists were rammed into his back. A pair of Ortons had slid into the ring and attacked him from behind.

Matt blocked a retaliatory punch from Nash and whipped him to the turnbuckle. Randy dropkicked Kevin down and the brothers waited for him to get up. Both were stalking him carefully, waiting for the correct moment. As the big man got to his feet, Randy and Matt executed the double RKO seamlessly, putting Nash face down on the mat. Hunter watched from the top of the ramp as Camilla climbed on the turnbuckle. Matt grinned as she used his signature leg drop and landed squarely on the back of Nash's neck. Randy and Camilla started to tend to the fallen Evolution and DX members as Matt got a microphone from ringside.

"See, Kevin? See what I was talking about before you knocked me out? Look up at the ramp, Kevin! Look at who is up there saving his own skin instead of being down here and helping you out! You two took out five men, but Hunter ran at the sight of _us_ coming to ring! It's exactly as I told you. Hunter leaves you in the dust, but you were too stupid to realize that! But now, you're just another casualty."

Dave and Shawn were the first to their feet; Cena, Jeff, and Eric soon followed. Evolution and D-Generation X stood united in the middle of the ring over the body of Hunter's latest bodyguard. Hunter raised the World Heavyweight belt in the air, getting boos from the crowd.

"Hunter! Don't think I forgot about you! At Backlash, we'll have a new World Heavyweight Champion! And then Randy and I will make sure to make your life a living hell! The Hunter will become the hunted!"

Shawn tapped Matt on the shoulder and Orton gave the microphone to HBK.

"And if you're not down with that, Hunter, Evolution and DX have two words for ya!"

Everyone in the ring along with everyone in the arena yelled out a resounding …

"**SUCK IT!**"

* * *

Matt was sitting in his room, a couple of pillows behind his head. As much as he wanted to be active and workout, Matt had to keep the amount of impact on his neck and head to a minimum. Next week was the week he would be on Sunday Night HEAT, against Test and Scott Steiner. Then, the next night on RAW was another match for the tournament. In his time resting, Matt calculated that one more win might be enough to earn a spot in the finals at Backlash. The other early front runners, Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer, had the same 2-0 record as Matt and John. 

"_That's Backlash. Evolution vs. RVD and Dreamer. One hell of a match."_

A familiar stomach rumble occurred, and Matt groaned. It was a chore to get down the steps without Camilla or Mom griping at him. The sandwich that was fixed for him earlier was gone hours ago, and Matt, or rather Matt's stomach, wanted more. Looking out the window, he could see Randy, Dave, and John doing something rather far away from the house.

"_Probably jogging. Batista wouldn't joke around like Randy and John do, so it has to be something serious."_

Looking out the hallway slowly, Matt slowly crept around the corner to the stairwell. Looking down into the living room, he saw Camilla watching TV on the couch. Taking a deep breath, Matt started to climb down the stairs slowly. Almost halfway down, the stairs made a loud creaking noise and Matt's heart rate shot up. Luckily, Camilla didn't look behind her. Sighing, Matt took another step down, but a louder creaking noise occurred. Camilla spun around and finally caught Matt.

"What the hell are you doing out of bed! Get back upstairs!"

Matt rolled his eyes. "I'm just hungry! Can't I fix myself something to eat?"

"I'll do it. Lay down here on the couch and I'll do it for you."

Reluctantly, Matt walked over and did as he was told. He could hear Camilla opening a can, and hoped it was tuna.

"Hey … about our wedding …"

Camilla immediately dropped what she was doing and jumped over the top of couch, landing on Matt's stomach. After Matt got his breath back, he continued what he was saying.

"Let's just have a small ceremony. Invite DX, Evolution, the McMahons … that's all it has to be."

"Torrie too. Don't forget her."

"Of course. You know, I can't help but see Randy and Torrie getting married in the future. I've never seen Randy change so much when she's around."

"Yeah. It reminds me of when I first met you. You would get all weird when I was around you. You weren't the uptight do-gooder everyone made you out to be."

Matt smiled and looked Camilla straight in the eye. They got closer to each other and leaned in for a kiss when they heard activity in the backyard. Matt and Camilla looked out the kitchen window to see Dave and John sparring in the ring, with Randy acting as the referee. Matt cracked a mischievous grin and looked at Camilla.

"No! I'm not letting you out there! You could hurt yourself again!"

"I'm going to have to go out there anyway on Sunday! Just let me go out there now! I just want to have a little fun … please?"

Camilla sighed. "You didn't even eat your sandwich yet."

"Fine! I'll eat the sandwich! Just let me go out there!"

"No. You're not going anywhere." Camilla reached over and grabbed the remote control while still sitting on Matt's stomach. Shaking his head, Matt closed his eyes, his stomach still growling.

"_God, I'm glad this week is almost over. _Can you at least bring me my sandwich?"

"Fine. But if you move, I'm coming after you. And you're not going to like it."

Reluctantly, she got up to retrieve Matt's food. For a split second, Matt thought of darting off to the backyard. Just as he was positioning his feet to run, the back door opened, and Dave, John, and Randy all walked inside. Matt sighed and sat up instead, snatching the remote control and finding something to watch on TV. Camilla jumped over the couch, sandwich in hand. To Matt's amazement, she started to eat it.

"What the heck are you doing? That's _my_ sandwich!"

"You changed the channel. It's mine now."

Angered, Matt walked into the kitchen to make one for himself.

"Dammit, Camilla! That was the last can of tuna! Screw it, I'm ordering Chinese."

"Whoa, whoa. Hold on there, bro." Randy had just walked in, fresh from changing into new clothes. "You haven't done anything all week physically and you want Chinese food?"

"I haven't done anything because of this one!", Matt exclaimed, pointing to Camilla. "If she would let me walk every once in a while, I would have been out there working with you guys!"

"Matt, all I'm trying to do is care for you!" Camilla retorted.

Orton couldn't find anything to say without infuriating his fiancée.

"Can … can I at least go lift weights with the guys? That can't be bad for my head, can it?"

"But what if you drop the bar? You could hurt yourself?"

"That's why I'll have a spotter, you know that!"

"But what if they accidentally drop the bar?"

"Camilla, do you really think that will happen? When has one of us ever had an incident like that?"

"Remember when Eric bruised his ribs?"

"He was a little overzealous that day, and he didn't have a spotter. Camilla, I know you care about me, but if I can't get active, I'll be out of shape and rusty for the matches on Sunday and Monday!"

Camilla sighed and looked at Matt. "Fine. But I warned you. If you get hurt … I don't know what I'll do."

"I'll get an icepack and rest in my room. What about that, huh?"

"Alright. Go on then."

Matt smiled and he and Randy went off to join Dave and John. Camilla stayed behind and finished off the sandwich she fixed.

"_He's right. I shouldn't treat him like a little boy. He's got his problems, Randy has his, I have mine … it's all just part of our lives now."_

* * *

Sunday Night HEAT was already underway. The main event of the evening was Matt and John vs. Test and Steiner. Earlier, Bubba Ray and D-Von took down Three Minute Warning, bringing their record to 2-1. Rosey and Jamal were 1-2; Matt wasn't too concerned about facing them in the tournament final at Backlash. He could say the same for La Résistance; they were 0-2. Test and Steiner were 0-2 as well, but there was no reason not to doubt their abilities. The two big men were taken down only when they were caught off guard; if they had a chance to use their full arsenal, a win would be in order. 

"Hey, Matt! Yo, our match is next! Get your gear on!"

Matt snapped out of his analytical mood. "Oh … sorry. Yeah, gimme a second." Matt grabbed his duffel bag and quickly ran off to the bathroom.

"What were you thinkin' about?"

"Who are opponents are going to be. With the way the records are now …"

"Dude, just lay off the numbers right now. All we gotta do is get out there and whip some ass."

Matt relaxed and chuckled. "Alright. Okay. How do you want to attack this one?"

"Like we do all the others. Nothing different. You ready yet?"

"Yeah. I'm just lacing my boots."

"Hurry the hell up then! I can hear Steiner's music already!"

"Shit…" Matt hopped out on one foot while still trying to lace up his left boot. Cena shook his head as his partner hobbled out the door.

"_This is why I don't wear tights …sneakers and shorts, that's it."_

Matt and John stepped out onto the stage, eyes on their opponents in the ring. The normally confident pair was serious this time around; these two weren't to be messed with. John started off for Evolution and Steiner started off for his team. When the bell rang, Steiner charged at Cena. The rapper dodged Big Poppa Pump, sending him into Matt's corner, where Orton grabbed Steiner by the neck and dropped down off the apron. Steiner's neck was racked across the top rope, sending him reeling backwards into Cena's grasp. John executed a German Suplex perfectly, then tagged in Matt.

When Matt entered and John exited, Test suddenly charged the ring, spearing down Orton. Matt's head impacted the mat rather hard, and for a moment, he looked as if he was knocked out. Backstage, Camilla and Randy started to freak out. Dave had to hold them back from running out and interfering in the match. The ref forced Test back to his corner. Steiner had recovered now and lifted Matt to his feet. However, Orton sprang into action, having been playing dead before. Randy and Camilla breathed a sigh of relief as Matt lifted Steiner onto his shoulders. Matt held out his hand and John made the tag.

Orton took a page from John's book and slammed Steiner down to the mat with an FU. In response, John took a page from Orton's book and slingshotted himself over the top rope with a somersault leg drop. Matt ran over to stop Test from interfering again, spearing Test down to the ground. Simultaneously, Cena locked in the STFU on Steiner and Matt locked in the Texas Cloverleaf on Test. Before long, both opponents tapped out.

"Here are your winners, Matthew Orton and John Cena!"

Cena and Orton raised each other's arms in the air in triumph.

"3-0, bro! We're freakin' unstoppable!"

"Don't forget, man. We still gotta work for it."

"No doubt, man. No dou…"

Music interrupted Cena's sentence, and Kevin Nash walked out onto the stage. He had a microphone in his hand.

"Last week on RAW … last week … "

Matt hurried and got a microphone from ringside.

"Hold on, Kevin. Hold on. I want you to stand there. I want you to stand there and realize that I was right."

"I know that. I get what you're trying to do. I know that I was wrong. And I'm man enough to admit it."

_**Its time to play the game…**_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Nash, what the hell are you doing?", Hunter asked his former friend.

"Why the hell are you out here? No, a better question for you: _Why the hell did you leave me in the ring alone last week?"_

The crowd seemed to be asking the same question as Hunter tried to look for a response.

"Well … I mean … you know … there were two of them …"

"Why the hell should that have mattered? You had a sledgehammer in your hand! You could have taken them out with a few swings! So I'm going to ask you again and I better get a response this time. _**Why the hell did you leave me in the ring alone last week?**_"

Hunter lowered his microphone and said nothing.

"That's what I thought."

Kevin dropped his mic and left the stage. Cena and Orton high-fived each other.

"Running out of friends now, Hunter? You have no one left. No one."

"You forget, Orton. I still have this title. And come Backlash, I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep it around my waist."

"Hunter, do you really think you stand a chance? You've got Evolution against you. You've got D-Generation X against you. And now you've got Nash against you. I'm getting the feeling that you failed math in high school, because the numbers game is catching up to you!"

* * *

_After the Evolution catastrophe at WrestleMania, things are finally looking up. On Monday Night RAW, Matt and John receive aid from an unexpected source. Camilla has to defend her title for the first time. And Bischoff makes a match that pleases both Evolution and DX alike._

_Hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to review!_

_SuspiciousInitials _


	37. Mischief

_This chapter has been edited. _

_First, we'll join Evolution as they return to the hotel after Sunday night. A quick nap and we're at Monday Night RAW. John and Matt look to be in the clear, but winning their match tonight will secure them a spot in the tournament final at Backlash. Can they pull it off? Also, Bischoff makes two big announcements: one announcing a match at Backlash and another that may shake up the very foundation of the WWE. What will it be?!_

* * *

Matt breathed a sigh of relief as he walked out of the Evolution locker room, bag in hand. All was going right: he and John were 3-0 in the tournament, Triple H was on his last two weeks as World Heavyweight Champion, and soon enough, all four titles would be in the hands of Evolution. The group, holding their things, walked out of the arena towards the hotel; it was close enough to save the trouble of loading everything in the limo. As they approached the front door, Cena initiated conversation with Matt.

"Is your head okay?"

"Yeah. It's fine now. That week of Camilla badgering me about it paid off, I guess."

"See?" pointed out Camilla. "I told you!"

"Alright. Alright. I admit it. You were right. Now can you let me worry about the matches?"

"Sure. Besides, I've got one of my own to worry about."

"What? Where did you hear this? Bischoff hasn't said anything yet."

"Oh, come on. Nothing a little espionage can handle", Camilla said with a smirk on her face.

"You spied on Bischoff?"

"I didn't exactly spy on him … I just hid outside his office and listened in to what he has planned for tomorrow."

"Yeah?" said a deep voice behind them. "What else does Bischoff have in store for us?"

"Well, you'll like this, Dave. You're supposed to go up against Kevin Nash."

Dave raised an eyebrow. "Really, now? Well, it's about time I get a match. Finally time to prove myself."

"You two …" Camilla said nodding over to John and Matt, "… are facing the Dudleys."

"We already knew that", Matt answered.

"What about me?" Randy asked as they stepped into the elevator.

"I didn't know how to react when I heard this one. You will be in a handicap match tomorrow."

Randy's face sunk.

"…but you're gonna be the one with the partner."

"What?"

"Eric. You and Eric are going up against Triple H."

Randy's face lit up brighter than any member of Evolution had ever seen before. He started going nuts, jumping around in the elevator. As they reached their floor, Randy leaped out and nearly hit the wall. He pounded fists with Dave, John, and Matt, then ran to his room. Matt could hear shouts and yelling coming from down the hallway.

"I think he's happy."

"No duh", replied Cena. He walked off to his own room and Batista did the same, walking off in the opposite direction. Matt and Camilla walked over to their room, where Randy was jumping on the bed.

"Dude, you don't know how happy I am right now! I finally get to get my hands on Triple H!"

"Okay now, kid", Matt said in a mock teacher-like voice. "Calm down. Take your medication. You don't want to waste all your energy."

Randy finally stopped bouncing around as Matt and Camilla climbed into bed together. The older brother calmed down and landed back first down on his own bed, putting his hands behind his back and smiling.

"You better kick his ass for me tomorrow. Soften him up for after Backlash."

"No doubt, bro. I'll have him down on the mat. R. K. O."

Matt smiled just as Camilla wrapped her arm around him.

"And you'll have the Dudleys on the mat, right?"

"_M_. K. O."

They gave each other a kiss before nodding off for the night.

* * *

"1, 2, 3!" 

"Here are your winners and the **new** World Tag Team Champions, John Cena and Matthew Orton!"

Matt lifted the belt the referee gave him into the air. To him, this meant even more than the Intercontinental title. Surviving to the end of the Royal Rumble was a great accomplishment, but winning every single match in the tournament rather easily and proving that he and John were the best tag team on RAW meant more. Only one thing really could mean more to him. Not the Intercontinental title … not the World Heavyweight title … but winning the Tag titles with Randy one day …

Cena slapped him on the back; Matt turned around and embraced his tag team partner, holding his belt high. The ref stepped between Orton and Cena and raised their arms. Matt tugged it away and stepped to the turnbuckle and posed. While doing so, Batista, Randy, and Camilla came down to the ring to celebrate. Once everyone was in the ring, Matt stepped off the turnbuckle and turned around.

Only to be met with a belt in the face.

Cena had slammed his belt against Matt's head in full view of Dave, Randy, and Camilla. After falling to the floor, Orton felt blood trickle down his forehead. He could hear feet shuffle around in the ring and assumed Randy and Dave were beating the hell out of Cena. Still dizzy, Matt felt himself being picked up. He saw Randy's face through the blood dripping over his eyes. However, he also saw Cena smiling.

"_What … the hell?"_

A sudden RKO brought Matt back down to the ground. Matt's neck impacted on Randy's arm and his forehead slammed against the mat. Nearly knocked out, Matt felt himself being picked up again. Batista was handling him this time, putting Matt in the position for a Batista Bomb. The lights were fuzzy and every fan in the crowd seemed to blend together as Matt was lifted up and slammed down hard.

Holding on to only a shred of consciousness, Matt looked up to see Camilla standing over his body. She took the Women's Championship and held it high, getting boos from the crowd, before bringing it down hard on Matt's forehead.

"Matt! Oh my god! Matt, wake up!"

Opening his eyes slowly, Matt looked up to see Camilla and Randy standing over him.

"Dude, you took a nasty fall off the bed. You hit your forehead against the nightstand. You okay?" Randy asked.

Looking around, Matt found himself on the floor of the hotel room. He pulled himself up to his feet, despite having an intense headache. The shock of both the fall and what he had just experienced … or what he thought he had just experienced … was still permeating through him. Without saying anything, Matt went to the bathroom and doused his face with water. Upon closer inspection, Matt noticed a large red mark in the spot where he hit his head.

"_That's the place I got hit with the belt…"_

"Hey … you alright?" Randy walked in and checked on his brother.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just took a little bit of a fall, that's it."

"You were talking in your sleep once you hit the ground. Was it …"

"Yes."

"What happened to me this time?" Randy remembered the last incident of this happening back at home.

"Nothing happened to you. It happened to me this time. Cena and I had just won the Tag titles, but after I stepped down from the turnbuckle, he whacked me in the head with his belt. You gave me an RKO. Batista gave me a Batista Bomb. Camilla whacked me in the head with her belt. That's when I woke up."

"Matt, I would never …"

"I know. I know you wouldn't. This still bugs me though."

"Why should it? It's only a dream."

Matt took a deep breath. "The only reason I suggested that we oust Triple H was because of that first dream."

Randy chuckled. "What? What do you mean?"

"I didn't want the events of that dream happening. So I changed the circumstances."

"Did you really believe that could ever happen? The events of a _dream _coming true?" Randy asked, thinking he might be in some cheesy movie or story.

"Yes." Matt pierced Randy with a serious look. "Hunter would have … well, I've gone through this conversation with you a thousand times before. You know why I did it. Now you know the _whole _story."

"Well … what are you going to do about this one then? Kick Cena out?"

"No. I'm not going to do anything. Cena's too much of a friend for me to disappoint him in any way. Besides, if he pulls something, you'll be there, right?"

Randy smiled and nodded his head. "Come on. Let's head to the arena and get an early start on warming up."

The brothers walked out of the bathroom to find Camilla ready to go. After a quick change, Randy dashed out of the room, racing Matt down to the lobby. Randy closed the elevator before Matt could make it, sending the younger brother down the stairs in an effort to get to the bottom first. Camilla rolled her eyes as she stayed at the elevator, pressing the button to wait for another car. Meanwhile, Batista and Cena walked down the hall to meet Camilla.

"Where are the boys?" asked Dave.

"Making idiots of themselves racing down to the arena."

"Really?" spouted Cena. He took off down the stairs as well.

Shaking her head and laughing, Camilla spoke to Dave. "Sometimes, I think you and I are the only mature ones here."

Dave laughed as the elevator door opened. Eventually, after a slow morning walk, even getting breakfast at McDonalds, Dave and Camilla arrived at the arena. Arriving at the locker room, they found Randy and Matt collapsed on the ground, out of breath. Cena was laying down on the bench, out of breath as well.

"Have fun, kids?" Dave asked.

"I … I won …", Matt said, gasping for air.

"Bullcrap … I got here first!" Randy retorted.

"Alright already! Just shut up and have a biscuit!" Camilla tossed one each to John, Matt, and Randy. It served as a good energy boost to the boys, and soon all of them were on their feet. Cena walked over to Matt and slapped him on the back. Matt spun around in caution, remembering what happened in the dream.

"Ready for tonight?"

"After this, just one more team to plow through."

"Get your gear on so we can go warm up in the ring."

Cena turned his back to Matt and dug around in his bag. For a split second, Matt thought of grabbing Randy's title belt and hitting Cena in the back of the head.

"_No … it was just a dream. It's not going to happen. It better not."_

* * *

Eric Bischoff's music rang throughout the arena as RAW kicked off for the night. As usual, the fans gave him a lengthy round of boos. 

"You know, I think you people would appreciate me after all that I've done for RAW! And you'll be more appreciative after I say that the Intercontinental title will be defended at Backlash! We'll have our champion, Randy Orton, face a deserving challenger, Eric Barringer!"

The crowd was pleasantly surprised and applauded. Backstage, Randy smiled, knowing that Eric deserved a match like this.

"Wait! Wait, I'm not done! I'm nowhere near done! That may have been a big announcement, but I've got another that trumps it tenfold! Mr. McMahon has informed me that, on the RAW after Backlash, superstars from both brands will be here on Monday night. For what? For the **2003 WWE DRAFT!**"

Matt's heart sank. The draft could shake up the rosters of both brands. More importantly, it could separate him from Randy or Camilla. As Bischoff reminded the crowd, champions aren't immune to the draft, meaning that titles could be taken or brought to a brand. Evolution looked at each other with caution.

Batista reassured the team. "We're not going to worry about that right now. It'll shake our focus. What we need to worry right now as the task at hand. Camilla, you defend your title tonight. Randy, take down Triple H. Matt and John, one more win and you guys are in the finals. Me … Nash is mine tonight."

Everyone nodded and Evolution's tag team sprung up; their match would be first on tonight's card. Matt followed Cena to the entrance ramp; his attention would not only be on Bubba Ray and D-Von, but also on John. Evolution's music played and they stepped onto the stage together to a major roar of cheers, although the crowd seemed divided. The Dudleys were well liked, and the pair concluded that the fans could provide some valuable added momentum for either pair. Matt and D-Von were to start out for their respective teams.

The bell rang, and D-Von put his hand in the air, signaling for a test of strength. Reluctantly, Matt locked hands; however, D-Von kicked Matt in the gut. The crowd started to boo as D-Von dragged Matt to one corner and started stomping on him repeatedly. It took the five-count from the ref to finally give Matt a little bit of a breather. D-Von whipped Matt to the turnbuckle and bent down for a back body drop. Orton jumped over D-Von, who was still bent over. While on the rebound, Matt dropped D-Von with a bulldog.

"_Time to try some new moves."_

Matt put D-Von's head under his arm and grabbed his leg, just like for the MKO. However, Matt lifted the Dudley up and over with a Fisherman's suplex. Bubba Ray managed to slap D-Von's hand on the way down, making him the legal man. Matt received another stomp in the gut, letting go of D-Von. Bubba Ray picked Orton up and sent him flying chest first into the turnbuckle. Matt turned around only to receive a spear from his opponent.

"1, 2, …"

Orton managed to kick out. D-Von was begging for a tag, but Matt gained a second wind and managed to keep Bubba Ray from dragging him over there. Orton put Bubba Ray in a bear hug, then tossed him overhead with a belly-to-belly suplex. Gaining some momentum, Matt picked Bubba Ray up and put him in the powerbomb position. However, hoping to piss off Triple H, Matt hooked the arms and executed the Pedigree. Batista, Randy, and Camilla smiled backstage as Cena was tagged in. Both men whipped Bubba Ray, but Cena picked him up for an FU. D-Von rushed in to aid Bubba Ray, but Orton caught him and lifted him up in the same manner.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Shut up, you didn't say something like this last week with the Five Knuckle Shuffle!"

John shrugged and both him and Orton performed simultaneous FUs on the Dudleys. They both went for the cover at the same time.

"1, 2, 3!"

"Here are your winners, Matth…"

The ring announcer was interrupted when Triple H rushed down to the ring and started to wail on John. Matthew tried to help, but was thrown over the top rope by the Game. Hunter pulled Cena to his feet and set him up for the Pedigree. It only took a second for Cena's face to get rammed down into the mat, knocking him out cold. Orton had climbed back into the ring, only to be immediately attacked by Triple H. Hunter set Matt up for the Pedigree as well, and Orton was laid out in a manner of seconds. Triple H stood in the middle of the ring. As he looked out to the audience, they started to cheer. Hunter finally felt like he had regained the respect he deserved as World Heavyweight Champion.

Then someone tapped him on the shoulder.

Bubba Ray and D-Von were up now, and the Dudleys started to take Triple H apart. After D-Von had distracted Hunter, Bubba Ray hit the Bubba Bomb. The fans knew it was coming.

"**D-VON! GET THE TABLES!**"

The immense reaction from the fans caused Orton to stir, and he saw Hunter laying on the ground. D-Von was sliding a table in from outside. Bubba Ray saw Matt starting to get up and facilitated the process, getting Matt to his feet. After a quick word, a groggy Orton took to the turnbuckle while the Dudleys set up for the 3D. Finally getting his head together, Matt saw Bubba Ray look over to his direction. Matt nodded and the Dudleys waited for Hunter to get up. With one swift motion, D-Von lifted the Game up and Bubba Ray brought him down through the table. Orton sized the situation up, waited for Bubba Ray to move, and launched himself in the air, hitting his Somersault Leg Drop on Triple H.

After getting up, Matt shook the hands of each of his opponents as a sign of respect. Orton then dashed over to Cena, who was now just coming to.

"Dude, can you hear me?"

Cena looked at him blankly, nodding ever so slightly. Matt lifted Cena onto his shoulders and climbed out of the ring carefully. He walked up the ramp and went straight to the trainer's room. Randy, Dave, and Camilla were running, trying to catch up with him. Dave took Cena from Matt, and Randy caught his little brother, who was having trouble standing.

"Matt, sit down. You doing that leg drop was a complete mistake."

"If you had the chance to put Hunter out after he almost knocks you out and knocks out your friend, you would have taken it."

"I can't argue with that."

Dave walked out of the trainer's room with a frustrated look on his face.

"Well?" asked Matt.

"He's got a bad concussion. You've probably got a smaller one."

Matt's eyes sunk to the ground. "How long does the …"

"As long as he takes it easy this week, he'll be ready for next Monday."

Randy, Camilla, and Matt all breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the news. They all heard Trish Stratus' music start to play.

"Dammit. I have to go out there", Camilla declared.

"I'm not leaving his side, Camilla. Go on", Randy replied.

She nodded and ran back to the Evolution locker room to get her belt. Dave, Randy, and Matt all walked back into the trainer's room to see Cena sitting up, groggy.

"Did … did we win?"

"_He doesn't remember …_ Yeah. We're in the finals for sure", Matt answered.

"Good …" Cena tried to get up, but had to be caught by Batista. Matt walked out of the room, obviously mad. Randy followed.

"What's wrong with you?"

"If I had never did the Pedigree, John wouldn't have a concussion. This is all my fault."

"John's going to be fine. I'm sure you didn't want him to get knocked out like he did, but it happened. You take it and move on. Why did you do that anyway?"

"I wanted to provoke Hunter so I could get my hands on him. I guess it worked. I didn't anticipate him throwing me out of the ring first thing though."

"Matt …" A voice came from the room. Both Ortons hurried back in.

"… we did good out there, bro", John weakly said with a smile on his face. Matt knew that there wasn't any hostility between the two, which he had feared from the dream he had earlier. Cena gave Orton a high five and helped the rapper back to the locker room with Dave and Randy close behind. Upon arriving, they found Camilla snacking on an orange.

"Shouldn't you be out in the ring?" Matt asked.

"Nope. Match is over", Camilla replied confidently, a giant smile on her face and the belt by her side.

"You won already?!"

"Tripped her up, locked in the Sharpshooter … end of story."

"Remind me never to face _you_ in the ring." Matt looked around for a second and, finding his duffel bag, grabbed his wallet. "Anyone want something to drink?"

After taking the orders, Matt stumbled out into the hallway towards a vending machine. Randy followed his brother, a smirk on his face.

_"You know, you think he would learn by now."_

Randy wrapped his arm around Matt's neck, squeezing the life out of his brother yet again. Matt felt the familiar dizziness and loss of hearing, but decided to get out of the hold at any cost. He lifted a leg up quickly, catching Randy where it hurt. The older Orton moaned out in pain and let go of his brother, falling to the ground. Regaining his composure, Matt went over to the vending machine and got the drinks. Going back to Randy still on the floor, Matt dropped his brother's root beer directly on his stomach.

"You won't mess with me anymore, huh?"

"That ... that wasn't fair. You cheated, goddammit!"

"There's no rules outside the ring. You know that."

"No. No cheating", Randy replied, getting to his feet. "We fight just like we would in the ring."

Matt shrugged. "Fair enough. I'll beat you whenever you so desire."

"You haven't beat me yet. And you never will."

Matt shook his head and shook his own root beer behind his back. Surprising his brother, Matt aimed the can at Randy and root beer sprayed all over the older Orton.

"You little ... come here!"

* * *

_Will John's injury affect next week's match on RAW? Will Randy and Eric be able to get the revenge they want for Hunter attacking Matt? And what of Batista and Nash?_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	38. Caution

_We'll complete the events of Monday night first. Then, at the Orton household, a kind of role reversal: Randy asks Matthew concerning something he wants to do. How will Matt react? And with Backlash only one week away, will Matt do anything at all concerning the dream he had?_

_Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review._

* * *

Matt and Randy returned from the vending machines, tossing a root beer to Camilla, a bottle of water to Batista, and an energy drink to Cena. After chugging the whole bottle, Batista went out to the hallway to warm-up; his match was next. Randy offered to help Dave, but Dave refused. 

"Jeez … he's more of a loner than he usually is", Randy said after walking back into the room.

"He doesn't want to mess this up", Matt replied. "You know how much getting Hunter's belt means to him."

"Still, it freaks me out sometimes."

"He's just focused. Dave doesn't like to kid around like we do."

"Homeboy needs to _chill_ then. It freaks me out too", John added.

"Heh … 'homeboy' …", Matt said during a chuckle. "You really got to drop that crap."

Cena rolled his eyes and quickly slugged down the rest of this drink. After all of it was gone, John crumpled up the can and lobbed it in the air, hitting Matt smack in the forehead.

"You son of a …", Matt got up and balled a fist.

"**HEY! YOU TWO CALM THE HELL DOWN!**"

After hearing Dave's bellow from the hallway, Cena and Orton cowered like two little scared kids. Out of the whole group, Dave was indeed the father figure, commanding respect and order when it was needed. Calming down, Matt peered over at his tag team partner.

"_Look at him. He wouldn't betray me like that. He's too much of a goof. Then why the hell did I have that dream? What could have possibly prompted something like that? Am I just paranoid? Do I just not trust people? Am I scared? Worried? If I think that I can't trust John … what prevents me from not trusting Camilla … or even my own brother …"_

"Matt?"

Randy's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "What's wrong? You look shaken." John and Camilla also looked at him curiously.

"I … no, nothing's wrong."

"Wait a minute. You went from happy and smiles one moment to looking like you've seen a ghost. _Something_ is wrong."

The younger Orton took a deep breath before saying, "John .. you don't have a beef with me, do you?"

Cena was confused, squinting his eyes at Matt. "No! Of course not, dude. Why would I?"

Hesitating, Matt responded. "Last night, I had a stupid little dream that every person in Evolution turned on me after you and I won the tag titles at Backlash."

Both John and Camilla looked at each other with looks of confusion; this was the first they had heard of Matt's dilemma.

"Dawg, is that what you're thinkin'? All because of a dream? Listen here. You and me, and I think Randy will agree with me here, are the closest we're every going to get to being actual brothers. I've respected you ever since I met you that day at the hotel before Smackdown. You would have to pull something pretty damn underhanded for me to even _think_ about turning my back on you. Now relax, bro!"

"… do you mean that?"

"Hell yeah, man! Why the hell wouldn't I …"

"Okay, okay, okay. I get it. I believe you. It's just that … the dream. It felt so real. I felt the pain from John's belt shot, the pain from Randy's RKO, from Batista's powerbomb, and from Camilla's belt. How can you explain that?"

Randy interjected. "Matt, you hit your head hard against that nightstand, remember? The pain probably came from that."

"But I felt it all over. My forehead, my neck, my back …"

"Matt, just shut up already!" Camilla snapped. "You're taking this_ way_ too seriously. You know we're not going to stab you in the back!"

"But .."

"But _nothing!_ Remember this little sentence, Matt? You're eighteen years old! Dreams are just that! Dreams! They don't come true! Grow up!"

By the time Camilla finished shouting, she was face to face with her fiancée, who wasn't looking at her in the eye. She grabbed Matt's face with both hands.

"Honey … I'm sorry if I insulted you, but it's the truth! You need to shake yourself out of this dream thing! Betraying you is the last thing I would do, and I'm sure John and Randy would say the same thing!"

Matt looked down at the ground for a good while before finally speaking up.

" … Backlash needs to just come and go. Once we have the titles around our waists, that'll take my mind off this."

Cena got up and sat next to Matt, slapping him on the back.

"That's the kinda stuff I want to hear. Nothing is going to stop us from getting those straps."

For the first time since it started, Matt cracked a smile. To try to comfort himself, Matt looked at the tattoos on his forearms. They were the link to his brother, forever ingrained into his skin. Orton closed his eyes and thought about the day that he first met Randy, trying to force from his mind all the negative things that had come up recently.

_SMACK!_

"Owww!", Matt yelped, holding the back of his head. "What the hell did you do that for, Randy?"

"Just trying to help."

"_What? How the hell did he know that … god, never mind."_

Suddenly, the locker room door swung open and Batista walked into the room, holding his back. Everyone took a look at him in surprise.

"Well? Did you win?" asked Randy.

"…barely. That powerbomb of his … damn, it hurts."

"At least you won. That'll send a message to Bischoff", Camilla commented.

"Maybe. But this isn't over. After the match, he jackknifed me through the announcers' table."

"What?!" rang out John, Matt, and Randy at the same time. They all sprung up and started for the door, but Dave blocked them from exiting.

"No. This is my business. I don't need to get any of you involved. Besides, you have to get ready for your match, Orton", Dave said, pointing at Randy.

"Then let us take care of Nash", John suggested.

"**No!**" Batista screamed out, causing the hair on the back of everyone's neck to stand straight up. Angered, Dave went to the back of the room and started to scream, punching all the lockers he could.

"Okay … now he_ really_ needs to chill", Cena added as he watched Batista flip over a table after breaking it in half.

"I guess that's his way of venting", said a new voice coming from the locker room door. Everyone turned around to see Eric in the doorway.

"Randy … _are you ready?_"

Both Ortons snickered. "You _had_ to say it like that, didn't you?" Randy asked.

"Couldn't resist. I haven't actually said that at all since I joined DX."

"Heh. Give me a minute to change."

While Randy went off to get in his gear, Eric visited with Camilla, John, and Matt.

"Looks like Evolution's gonna have a lot of gold in the future, huh? You have the Women's title, Camilla. Randy has the Intercontinental strap. And you two'll be tag champs after Backlash."

"Well, DX is gonna have some gold too. Shawn winning the championship is just as important as our pieces of gold", Matt replied.

"Don't you forget, I might have the Intercontinental title after Backlash too."

Matt acknowledged the fact by nodding. "Well, I don't think it'll matter. I'll have the Intercontinental title regardless when I get my rematch."

"I heard that!", yelled Randy as he hobbled out of the bathroom, tying one of his boots. "Rematch? You're too busy with your tag title hunt to come after me, little bro."

"Bullcrap! I'd be happy to take you anytime for that strap."

"Hey!" Eric interjected. "I get my shot first. You face whoever wins, Matt."

"I'm game. Name the time and the place."

"Whoa!", Camilla interjected. "Hold on! We don't need three of our own taking each other out! With the draft coming up, we'll need everyone we can get to face whoever is coming to RAW."

Everyone was a little stunned by Camilla's statement, even Batista in the back, who had stopped bashing in an old ice chest. The draft was indeed going to be big; Dave had told everyone to ignore it earlier, but the possible effects were too big to just brush aside. They could tear both Evolution and DX apart.

"I know that something could happen that could wreck all that we've worked for", said Dave, coming over to the younger group. "But we can't let that stop what we're pursuing now. Matt and John, you are going to work your asses off to win those tag titles! Camilla, you've already defended your title tonight, and I know that you're going to what it takes to keep it around your waist! Randy, you may have gotten lucky when you won that belt from Matt, but you're not gonna let anyone have an easy time taking it away! Hell, even you, Eric! You don't let the gloom of the draft overshadow your desire for that strap!"

Batista's little speech seemed to breathe life into the group. Heads were held high now. Randy and Camilla put their belts proudly on their shoulders.

"There's still one more match left for us tonight. Randy … Eric … go kick Hunter's ass."

"Gladly", Randy and Eric both said in unison. They gave each other a high five and started to walk out of the room. Matt slapped each other on the back and wished them luck.

"I bet this is kinda funny. I don't remember you teaming with anyone but your brother before", Eric commented as they walked to the entrance ramp.

"Well, the only other person I've ever tagged up with is …"

"Hunter …", Eric said. " … and I pinned you in that match."

"Well, uh … you caught me from behind, that's, uh … not really … um …"

"Just drop it. You'll get another chance at me at Backlash."

Triple H had already made his way to the ring; his music was still playing. Randy himself hit the stop button on the soundboard, making the sound guy chuckle.

"Bash his head in, would ya? HHH is such an ass to me sometimes."

"We'll have him down for the count in no time", Eric responded with Randy smiling.

"Good. He bosses me around and I'm goddamn tired of it." The sound guy pushed a button.

**Are you ready?**

The classic DX opening started, and the crowd started to go wild.

"You know, that music _is_ pretty cool", Randy said.

"Maybe you should try it out some time."

**BREAK IT DOWN!**

"The following handicap match is scheduled for one fall! Currently walking down the ramp, from San Antonio, Texas, weighing in at 223 pounds, Eric Barringer!"

The referee had to hold Hunter back as Eric walked around the ring, his eyes locked onto the Game to make sure no funny business occurred. As the two enemies stared at each other for what seemed like hours, 'Line in the Sand' started to play.

"Introducing his tag team partner, from St. Louis, Missouri, weighing in at 245 pounds, he is the Intercontinental Champion, Randy Orton!"

Randy didn't mess around; he only held his belt up in the air as he rushed down to ringside. After a brief conversation with Eric, Randy decided to start off the match. Once the bell rang, Triple H leered at Orton. Randy saw the look of intense hatred on Hunter's face; it wasn't something he wanted to look at for very long. Hunter started to move at a slow pace towards Randy, still weak from the earlier attack from Matt and the Dudleys. Randy executed a nice standing dropkick, knocking down the Game. Hunter stayed flat on his back for quite a while; Randy saw this opportunity enough to try out one of his old moves.

Matt widened his eyes as Randy got onto the turnbuckle, knowing what was coming.

"He hasn't done this since Smackdown …", he said out loud.

"Done what?", Cena asked.

"A flying cross body block."

Triple H stumbled to his feet as Randy flew into him, knocking the Game back down. With the biggest grin on his face, Orton moved into the position for the RKO. Eric started a clap, which the audience emulated. Triple H pulled himself back up using the ring ropes and turned around to receive a kick in the stomach.

"That little … god, he knows how to get me pissed off", Matt reacted.

"What? How could he be pissing you off?", asked a confused Batista.

"He's stealing my goddamn move", Matt responded as he watched Randy hit the MKO.

"You know, you _do_ use the RKO a heck of a whole lot", responded Camilla.

Defeated, Matt sat back down as his older brother eagerly tagged in Eric.

"Make … him … tap", Orton said to Barringer.

Only happy to oblige, Eric locked in the Camel Clutch. An already worn-out Hunter hardly responded, and the ref already started to raise an arm in the air. The ref repeated his action after the arm fell. However, Barringer let go after the second count. Randy looked at him curiously, but smiled as Eric brought Triple H in the Pedigree position. Orton egged Barringer on as Hunter's face was slammed down into the mat.

"1, 2, 3!"

"Here are your winners, Randy Orton and Eric Barringer!"

The whole arena went wild, happy to see Triple H get beat down yet again. Randy and Eric celebrated together in the ring until the ref handed Randy his belt. Both men looked down at the gold in front of them and then at each other. The crowd could sense the tension as Orton lifted the belt high in the air.

"That's gonna be mine."

"You **wish**."

* * *

Matt sat at the dining room table, carefully constructing a house of cards. Camilla and Batista were in the kitchen fixing a meal, and John and Randy were goofing off in the backyard. 

"What the hell are they doing?", asked an irritated Dave, hearing things crashing and falling over.

"I don't know … don't really care, to be honest. If they get hurt, it's their problem."

"I think it'd be quite funny if one of them fell flat on their faces", came Matthew from the dining room.

"Hey, come make yourself useful and peel these oranges!"

"Hold on! I have to …"

They were all interrupted by a football that flew through the open kitchen window, through the door into the dining room, through the card house, and straight into Matt's chest, knocking him out of the chair. Camilla ran over to aid Matt, who was gasping for air. Batista dropped what he was doing and ran outside, grabbing John and Randy by the back of the neck and dragging them inside. Matt had gotten up, recovered but enraged, and immediately confronted his friend and his brother.

"Who threw it?! Huh?! **Who did it?!**"

John barely nodded his head towards Randy.

"….yeah. it was me", the older Orton said quietly.

Matt took a deep breath and calmed himself down, much to the surprise of everyone around him. Spinning around, he sat back down at the dining room table. Looking at his fallen masterpiece, Matthew started to pick up the pieces and rebuild.

"You're not … mad?", asked his brother.

"No. It was kinda funny. Let 'em go, Dave."

Batista squeezed his captives' necks before releasing his grip. Cena went upstairs to escape the situation while Randy sat down next to Matt.

"You're really not mad at me?"

"Do you want me to be?"

"No … I guess not." Randy twiddled his thumbs before picking up some of the cards himself.

"Why did you come in here?"

"Well … to apologize … and …"

"Apology accepted. Now let me rebuild this thing."

"But I wasn't finished. I need to ask you for advice about something."

Matt put down the cards he had in his hand and looked directly at his brother, a little frustrated. "What? What could my older brother _possibly _want advice for?", he said, raising his voice steadily throughout the sentence.

"Hey, cut me some slack! I said I was sorry!"

"Alright, alright. What do you want to ask about?"

Randy hesitated before saying anything. "How did you know when you wanted to propose to Camilla?"

Matt spit out the sip of water that he was taking. "You mean you want to…"

"Yeah. I want to propose to Torrie."

"What?!" Camilla and Dave poked their heads in from the kitchen with looks of confusion on their faces.

"Hold on. Hold on. Hold the damn phone. Are you sure you want to pop the question? I mean, you haven't even really gotten to know her a lot!"

"Yes, I have! You forget that while you were training here at home, I was on Smackdown with her the whole time! What was it … five, six, seven months? We got to know each other, and then when we finally went on that trip to that water park …"

"Water park?!", yelled a voice from upstairs. Cena poked his head down the stairs, reacting to the mention of such a place. "Dude! We totally have to make our way to that!"

"…. you're not helping, John", Randy mumbled. "… when Torrie and I were in the wave pool, I told her all about what happened to me in high school. Right then and there, I felt the same way I did when I loved Jennifer! I've never felt that way since high school, and I want to keep that forever! Look … I never showed you guys this, but this is what Torrie gave me for my birthday." Randy pulled out the piece of heart from under his shirt and displayed it to everyone. "I have part of her with me at all times, and she has part of me with her! Now I don't want just this! I want to be with her!"

"Wouldn't it be funny if she got drafted to RAW?" Batista commented.

"That's what I'm hoping for. Not hoping. Praying. Or me to get drafted to Smackdown."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's not get overzealous here. If you get drafted to Smackdown, you'll leave us behind!", Batista exclaimed

"But I'll have Torrie …"

"… but what will I do?" cried out a surprised Matt. "I don't know what I would do if I got separated from my family!"

"I know … I know. I'm just desperate for this. I've wanted another chance at love for as long as I could remember. Seeing you and Camilla together, going to get married … I admit, it made me jealous."

"Then let's hope she gets drafted to RAW. If … If you think you're ready. More importantly, if you think _she's_ ready."

"I guess I'll find out."

"… can we eat now? I'm starvin', guys", Cena interjecting, holding his stomach.

"Yeah … I guess. You'll just have to peel an orange yourself if you want one."

* * *

_One RAW left to Backlash. Randy anxiously waits for the draft. Dave is still determined to get his shot at the World Heavyweight title. John and Matt still have one more tournament match to go before the final. For some, things will go right. For others, things will go wrong. _

_Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it, and please review!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	39. Crisis

_JR: Bah gawd, King! Welcome to another edition of Monday Night RAW! FRUITY DELICIOUS FRUITY SKITTLES!_

_King: PUPPIES!_

_Cole: No! Not this way!_

_JBL: Why don't you all just shut up and read the story!_

_Me: …I don't know where they came from. Honestly. Although now I have a craving for Skittles… Anyway, 6 days from the pay-per-view, someone has it out for Matt and John. What will that mean for Evolution and DX as they aim for gold? I'm gonna write the chapter now before …_

_Cole: Modified commentary!_

_Me: Ugh …never mind. Hope you like it._

* * *

Randy sat in his room, looking at a picture that he, Torrie, Matt, and Camilla took in a photo booth while at Schlitterbahn back in March. The whole group was kind of squished in, with Camilla sitting on Matt's lap and Torrie sitting on Randy's lap. Orton could help but keep looking at Torrie, questioning whether or not he was ready to make such a move. 

"… _what if she says no? What the hell will I be like then? God, I'd be so depressed and worried … I would never find another. Torrie's __**the**__ one. It has to work. It just has to."_

Randy put the picture back on the dresser and sighed. He would only have to find the courage to ask Torrie one day. Randy could either go on and have a great girlfriend for the rest of his life, or take a chance and have a loving wife to love and to hold forever.

"_Matt, god, I wish I had the same backbone you do. Hell, you had the balls to ask Camilla in front of the whole frickin' world."_

"What are you thinking about?" came a voice behind Randy. Orton spun around and saw his little brother standing in the doorway.

"… uh … well, I was trying to muster up the strength to decide when I'm going to ask Torrie."

"Randy, if you're questioning yourself, you're not ready for marriage."

"What? How the hell can you say that? You know how I much I love her!"

"Listen, I don't want you to get hurt. I've seen the way you act when you're depressed. What if she reacts badly and she says no? You could do something crazy or even go berserk!"

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of though", Randy said hesitantly.

"So … let me get this straight. You _want_ to ask her to marry you, but you're _afraid_ of the possible consequences? Yeah, you're _definitely_ not ready for this."

Snapping, Randy shot up out of his chair and landed a fist straight in Matt's stomach, knocking the wind out of his little brother and sending him to his knees.

"No … dammit … Matt, I'm sorry! I didn't … I was just …" Randy lifted Matt back up to his feet before getting shoved down onto and over the bed.

"This … this is what I was talking about! You've got the Orton temper!"

Getting up, Randy responded. "You do the same thing sometimes! I've only …"

"That's not my point! What if you did something like this to Torrie if she said no?"

Randy cocked his head in confusion and narrowed his eyes at Matt. "Are you implying that I would _hurt_ her?" Matt knew that he had hit another trigger when he looked down to see Randy ball another fist.

"Well … you hit me!", Matt said, taking a step back. For the first time in the short year that Matt had been reunited with Randy, Matt was _scared_ of his older brother.

"That's **different!** We've been through this before already. You being my brother means I can take a swing at you just about anytime for just about any reason!"

"Okay! Alright! If you want to ask her, _ask her!_ You do it the next time you see her. You do it …" Matt stopped his speech and watched as Randy dug out something from a dresser drawer. "You've already bought the ring!? Maybe I was wrong then. Wait a minute … what the hell am I saying? This is the same thing that happened when I told you I wanted to marry Camilla. I have no right to hold you back like this when you were the one that helped me propose to Camilla!"

Matt stepped up and gave his big brother a hug. Randy now was uneasy. He had never actually told Matt that, at first, he thought that proposing to Camilla was a completely bad idea. Now wasn't the time to tell Matt either.

"Can you just back me up this one time? Please?", Randy asked.

"One time? Randy, I'll always have your back. It won't just be one time; it'll be _all _the time. Now, come on outside. Dave's grilling some burgers."

"Batista cooking? You've got to be kidding me."

"I thought that too, but don't make fun of him. I've already learned the hard way."

"What'd he do to you?"

"Batista Bomb in the pool. Same thing happened to Cena. I never thought landing flat on your back in the water would hurt … but, god, it stings!"

"Well, I won't be _that_ stupid."

"_That_ stupid?", Matt repeated. Randy smirked as he realized he hit a nerve. "Well … that means that you just admitted that _you're_ stupid."

"What the hell are you talki… wait a minute …"

"You forget, Randy. I was the smartest kid in the class. You can't outsmart me outside the ring."

"But inside the ring, I own your ass."

Matt laughed and shook his head. "You know … one day, I'm going to get my rematch. And I will get _my_ title back."

Randy looked over to the Intercontinental strap on his nightstand. "Go take a look at that belt. Look at the name on the nameplate right there. That's _my_ name on it. _Randy_ Orton. Not _Matthew_ Orton."

Both Ortons stared at each other a bit before starting to laugh. They had done this several times before: confront each other, throw some insults back and forth, almost break out into a fight. It was almost a daily occurrence. Camilla and Dave rolled their eyes every time it happened, and Cena sometimes wanted to get in on the fun. Although he had always enjoyed the company of Dave, Camilla, and John, for the first time in a long while, Matt felt like he was with family.

* * *

Evolution's limo pulled into the arena in Boston, Massachusetts for Monday Night RAW. Only John and Matt knew what they were doing; none of the other Evolution members had any idea who they would be going up against. Once settled in the locker room, Dave, Randy, and Camilla went to go see what the card was for the night. Tired of his black tights, Matt pulled out his new ring attire: black denim shorts and black sneakers. 

"I'm rubbin' off on ya, man", Cena commented. "Before long, I'll have you wearin' one of my chains and a jersey."

"I don't know if I'd go _that_ far. Well … maybe the hat, but that's it."

"See! You'll be stylin' just like me in no time, dude!"

Orton chuckled and quickly put on his new gear, along with the Evolution shirt he created for himself. "You want a Red Bull or something? I'm thirsty."

"Yeah, man. Whatever they got."

Matt grabbed his wallet and stepped out of the room into the hallway. It was crowded with RAW superstars; everyone seemed to arrive at the same time. Orton pushed through the crowd to a vending machine to get his root beer and then out to the concession stand for a Red Bull. Naturally, he was mobbed by the fans. After signing what seemed like an endless amount of autographs, Matt finally purchased Cena's drink and left for the locker room. Walking back, Orton heard some commotion coming from the doorway and rushed over to find his brother and Camilla standing over Cena's body.

"What?! What the hell happened!?"

"We don't know", replied Randy. "We found him in here with this next to him." Randy pointed to a lead pipe next to John. Matt looked at it and pushed Randy and Camilla away before kneeling beside Cena.

"John! John, can you hear me?"

"… yeah … barely, dude …"

"Did you see who did this to you?"

"… no … came from behind …"

"Can you get up? What about our match?"

"… I'll try." Cena got to his knees, but couldn't manage to keep his feet planted on the ground. He stumbled back down to the floor. "My back … damn, he got me good."

Batista walked into the room with Bischoff close behind him. Dave had already explained the situation and brought Bischoff to see for himself. Matt, with his hands in his head, went and sat on a nearby bench.

"How could someone do this right before Backlash? What the hell are we gonna do?"

"Well …", Bischoff began, "… the numbers are in your guys favor, but it's still possible for the match at Backlash to be a Triple Threat or even a Fatal Four Way."

"What?! How?", Matt exclaimed. He had figured from the statistics that it was 100 percent certain that it would be Van Dam and Dreamer in the finals with them.

"There _is_ a possibility for three teams to be tied for second place: Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer, the Dudleys, and Three Minute Warning at 3-2. But if you can't find a new partner, I'm going to have to disqualify you from the tournament."

Matt looked wide-eyed at the General Manager of RAW. "You're kidding me … John will be fine Sunday! Just let me do this match by myself!"

"I'm sorry, Orton, but this is a _tag team_ tournament. One person isn't a tag team. If you can find a new partner that isn't competing at all tonight, you can go on, but that partner has to compete at Backlash as well. Cena won't be eligible."

Thinking quickly, Matt took the copy of the card from his brother and scanned the list. "Dave, Eric, Randy, Shawn … everyone has a freakin' match tonight! Wait … Jeff. Jeff doesn't have one." Orton breathed a sigh of relief and looked over to his fallen partner. "I'm gonna tear apart the person who did this to you, John!"

"Don't worry about that …", Cena grimaced and screamed out, holding his lower back. "… now. Go get Jeff."

"You better hurry too. If you're not down to the ring in 5 minutes, you'll forfeit your match and be tossed from the tournament", Bischoff added. "You guys are first up tonight."

Matt sprung off the bench and bolted down the hallway looking for the DX locker room. He ran past La Résistance, Three Minute Warning, and the other teams that he had defeated earlier in the tournament. Suspicions were already popping up in Matt's mind.

"_Was it one of those guys? Are they just mad that we're gonna get the title shot? Or was it Hunter? He could just be trying to derail us as much as he can."_

Matt had to backtrack once catching Eric in a room as he sped by. Bursting in, all the DX members looked at him strangely.

"Whoa, Orton, where's the fire?", HBK asked.

"John … he was attacked. He isn't well enough to compete and Bischoff's making me find another partner. Jeff, you're free, aren't you?"

"Wait … your brother or Batista can't do it?", said an out of breath Jeff Hardy.

"Bischoff said it couldn't be anyone already competing tonight. You wanna be tag champs one more time?"

Jeff put his head down and laughed. "I never thought I would have another opportunity to put the tag belts around my waist with someone named Matt again."

It took a second for Matt to realize that Hardy was talking about his own brother.

"Ready, then?"

"Yeah. I guess this is the proof that Evolution and DX can co-exist."

Jeff and Matt rushed to the entrance ramp, where Bischoff was waiting for them.

"Jeff Hardy, huh? Okay then. John Cena has been moved from the record and Hardy is added in. Good luck, you two." Bischoff went out to the ring to clarify the situation to the fans. The pair looked at each other strangely; it was rare for Bischoff to show any sense of level-headedness or concern for anyone.

"How do you want to attack this?", Orton asked.

"When my brother and I would tag up, we wouldn't plan anything out. It's hard for me to think of any strategy with any other partner."

"What would you plane when you would tag with Eric against me and Randy?"

"Well … Eric would use his power moves and submissions, and I would be the icing on the cake with the high flying stuff."

"Sounds like a plan then."

"Do you have any idea who smacked Cena with that pipe?"

Orton shook his head as Hardy's classic music started to play. Jeff got a huge reaction as he stepped beyond the curtain, the fans ecstatic to see him in action.

"_I never said anything about the weapon…how could he know about it?"_

Matt shook it off as 'Line in the Sand' started to play and he stepped out onto the stage. Posing to his pyro, Orton looked to the ring at his partner. He couldn't help but be suspicious now.

"_Just shake it off. Maybe I __**did**__ say something about the pipe and I'm just being paranoid again."_

The new Evolution/DX tag team pounded fists before Rob Van Dam's music started. Him and Tommy Dreamer came out together, wearing old ECW shirts. This was to be a battle of fan favorites; Matt could tell from the "E-C-Dub!" chants starting in the crowd. Matt decided to start off for his team, and Dreamer would start for his.

As the bell rang, Dreamer surprised Orton with a flurry of quick punches to the face and stomach, making the Evolution member stumble back to the ropes. Dreamer whipped Matt across the ring, but missed a clothesline. Matt tried his own clothesline, but missed as well when Dreamer ducked. As Tommy was rebounding, Orton stopped in his tracks and hit Dreamer with a standing dropkick. The crowd was getting louder for some reason, and just as Matt was realizing why, Van Dam leaped off the turnbuckle and smacked Matt in the side of a head with a flying kick. Orton crumpled to the ground next to Dreamer, and the referee forced RVD back to his corner. Both Van Dam and Hardy reached out for a tag. Jeff started a clap, which the audience eagerly followed along. Regaining his senses, Matt slowly crawled to his corner and slapped his partner's hand just as Tommy did the same.

RVD and Hardy charged at each other, meeting with rapid punches. RVD tried a spinning heel kick, but Jeff dodged and countered with one of his own. In reaction, Jeff stepped out onto the apron and slingshotted himself over with a leg drop. Van Dam moved, however, and capitalized by whipping Jeff hard to the turnbuckle. The audience could sense RVD's traditional Monkey Flip coming, but cheered loudly as Hardy landed on his feet. Jeff ran over to his corner and tagged Matt in.

Van Dam was now shaking with anger. He was still pissed off that Orton put Kane on the shelf by shattering the Big Red Machine's knee, causing Bischoff to strip the tag titles from them in the first place. Matt saw the look on RVD's face and became suspicious.

"_He doesn't look too happy at all…"_

Van Dam took the initiative and tried a suplex after kicking Matt in the stomach. However, Orton blocked the suplex and reversed it into one of his own. Matt signaled for the MKO, getting a rousing cheer from the fans. As he was picking RVD up, Van Dam wriggled out of Matt's grip and quickly tagged Dreamer back in.

Frustrated, Orton grappled with Dreamer and sent him to the turnbuckle. Matt ran at Tommy for a running splash, but Dreamer moved out of the way. Tommy then grabbed Orton and hit the Death Valley Driver, hearkening back to the old ECW days. Dreamer then tagged Van Dam back in and immediately shoved Jeff off the apron into the ringside barrier. RVD ascended to the top rope and made the audience call out his initials before launching himself in the air with the Five-Star Frog Splash.

Orton managed to lift a foot in the air.

Matt's sneaker caught RVD in the stomach, knocking all the wind out of Van Dam. Still weakened from Dreamer's attack, Orton pulled himself up using the ropes. He wanted to make a tag, but Hardy was still out on the floor. Dreamer came back into the ring and set Matt up for a DDT, but Orton had enough wits about him to slip out of the hold and throw Dreamer over the top rope. Matt slipped under the bottom rope to the floor to check on Jeff.

"You okay? Ready to end this?"

"Yeah …", Jeff said weakly. "… who's down?"

"Van Dam's out in the ring and Dreamer's on the floor."

"Swanton then?"

"And I'll hit my leg drop."

Matt helped Jeff up to the apron only to see that RVD was in the ring with a steel chair. Deciding to change his plans, Matt ducked the incoming chair shot, rammed his fist into Van Dam's stomach, and hit the MKO. Orton tagged in Hardy, who immediately climbed to the top rope. The crowd roared in approval as Jeff landed the Swanton Bomb and went for the cover.

"1, 2, 3!"

"Here are your winners, Matthew Orton and Jeff Hardy!"

Dreamer suddenly came back into the ring with a steel chair of his own. Hardy dodged the incoming shot and Orton wrenched the chair away. Jeff caught Tommy by surprise and hit the Twist of Fate. The victorious pair quickly slipped out of the ring and up the ramp before any other trouble ensued. Orton made a belt motion around his waist while Jeff applauded next to him.

"I can see why you two dominate every week."

"Damn skippy."

After stepping behind the curtain, Matt was about to turn towards the Evolution locker room when Jeff put a hand on Matt's shoulder.

"Hey … thanks."

"Thanks? For what?"

"I dunno. Ever since my brother and I haven't been getting along, I've kinda been depressed. That's the real reason I joined DX. I thought I would be happier with company around. But Shawn and Eric a just a little too goofy for my tastes."

"Well, you wouldn't be much happier in Evolution. Randy, John, and I goof around nearly every day."

Hardy chuckled. "I didn't mean that I want to join Evolution. I've seen what can happen in that kind of situation", Jeff said, referring to the minisaga between Matt and Eric that ensued before WrestleMania. "I'm just happy that I have a great partner again."

"Eric wasn't good enough for ya?"

"Heh. Well, no, I didn't mean that. It's just that you remind me of my brother." Jeff smiled and walked in the opposite direction. Matt turned around, not sure how to react to what was just said.

"_Jeez … that guy has issues. But I feel for him. I would hate to be separated from my brother too."_

* * *

On the flight back home at night, the only thing on Matt's mind was finding out who attacked Cena. His initial suspicion of Jeff Hardy had been completely wiped away by the comments he received after their match. The top suspect now on his list was Rob Van Dam. Matt knew of what _could_ be the motive, and it seemed to fit perfectly. Now all he had to do was prove it. Luckily for him, both the Dudleys and Three Minute Warning lost their matches. If there was a chance to find out if RVD was the culprit, Sunday night seemed like the best time to do it. 

Behind him, Dave and Randy were talking about their matches. Randy was forced to team up with Triple H of all people against Shawn and Eric in what Bischoff called a 'Champions vs. Challengers' match. Matt listened as Randy bragged about turning on Hunter, giving him the RKO and letting Shawn go for the cover. Batista had a match against Scott Steiner, which he won. Kevin Nash had come down and tried to interfere, but Dave didn't let it happen by knocking Nash off the apron before slamming Steiner down with the Batista Bomb.

"Hey … Matt … ", Camilla poked her fiancée, careful not to wake Cena, who was sleeping in the window seat.

"Yeah?"

"Look at Cena's shirt. What is that stuff?"

Matt looked at his best friend and noticed little specks of something glowing. He picked one of them up in his fingers and closely examined it. He turned on the light switch above him and turned grey.

"It looks like some sort of paint chip." Matt elbowed Cena in the gut. "Hey, do you own anything like this?"

Barely opening his eyes, John looked at the piece of paint in Matt's hand.

"Hell no, bro. Just let me nap, damn."

Cena nodded off again and Matthew and Camilla looked at each other strangely.

"Who the hell would be carrying something like this on them?"

Matt didn't answer. He was remembering back to No Way Out earlier that year. There was one person who wore glow-in-the-dark body paint. That person was part of the first match of the evening.

That person was Jeff Hardy.

* * *

_Me: How will Matt's conclusion affect the match at Backlash? Was the talk Jeff had with Matt just an act? And what changes will the draft bring to the Orton family?_

_J.R.: BAH GAWD! Make sure to turn in this Sunday for Backlash, exclusively on pay-per-view! _

_Me: Ugh ... I need to get rid of them somehow. Sorry this one took so long. I've been distracted a lot lately. Hope you enjoyed it._

_SuspiciousInitials_


	40. Confirmation

_Matt assumes the role of detective to get to the bottom of the attack on Cena, questioning Eric Barringer. Then, at Backlash, Matt confronts the culprit._

_Forty chapters already … wow. Has it really been that long?_

_Please read and review! Hope you guys enjoy it!_

* * *

The pilot had just come over the loudspeaker and announced to the passengers that the plane would be landing shortly in St. Louis. John was still asleep, bent in a weird position in the chair as to put as little pressure on his back. Randy and Dave had also fallen asleep, completely out of words, out of breath, and out of energy from their conversations about their matches on RAW. Camilla had nodded off, putting her head on Matt's shoulder. Even though Matt was tired, the thoughts he had been having lately kept him wide awake. 

"_And I asked Jeff to be my tag team partner …was this all planned? Did this have something to do with the little speech that he gave me? This is starting to get a little creepy."_

The jerk of the aircraft as it touched down woke up the rest of Evolution. Getting off the plane, John, Randy, and Dave wandered over to the airport café to get some early morning breakfast, while Matt and Camilla sat down on a nearby bench.

"What's wrong? You look worried."

"That stuff on Cena's shirt … body paint. Think of one person who wears body paint."

After a short silence, Camilla shrugged her shoulders.

"Hardy. Don't you remember his match at No Way Out? He came out on the stage looking like a neon sign. It's glow-in-the-dark. Hardy attacked Cena."

"Wait a minute. How could he? He's your …"

"… tag team partner. I know. Ironic, isn't it? I'm thinking he orchestrated the whole thing."

"What do you mean?"

"He gave me a little talk after our match on Monday. He seemed depressed and kinda … well … just kinda weird."

"Have any idea why?"

"He mentioned something about missing his brother, then told me how much I remind him of Matt. To tell you the truth, I think he attacked Cena to … make up for his brother not being there for him."

Camilla narrowed her eyes at Matt and cocked her head to the side. "Jeff sounds like he has problems."

"That's what I said. I don't know whether I should be pissed off at Jeff or feel sorry for the guy."

"Call Shawn or Eric. See if they can add anything."

"What would they know?"

"I don't know. Ask if they noticed anything suspicious about Jeff just as they were arriving to the arena."

"God, if John finds out, he would be pissed regardless. I don't think he has the sympathy to forgive Jeff."

"So are you going to keep this a secret from him? He doesn't deserve that."

"I know. I'll have to tell him outright once I find out for sure that Jeff did it."

"Deal with this later. It's not even three in the morning yet. Come on, let's head over and have breakfast."

Over at the café, Matt and Camilla joined the rest of the group, where they were still waiting for their meal. The pair ordered their meals, while Randy had fallen back asleep and Dave struggled to keep his eyes open. John, on the other hand, was wide awake, three empty mugs of coffee in front of him.

"Shouldn't you be resting? That caffeine is just going to keep you jumpy, and you could re-injure your back", Camilla suggested.

"It's the only way I can stay awake, girl. Besides, I'm not stupid. I can take car… **OW!**" Cena grabbed his lower back and Camilla shook her head.

"Figures."

The smell of the incoming food woke up Randy and brought Dave to his senses. As Evolution gobbled up their meal, Matt thought about asking for advice on the situation from his brother. However, Matt hesitated, thinking that Randy would predictably tell him to cut Jeff loose. He remembered back to the night in Las Vegas and how Randy wanted to teach him to avoid the mistakes of his father and learn the ways of the business as it is.

"_I guess I better start applying what he's trying to tell me."_

Camilla saw the look of deep thought on Matt's face and tried to snap him of it. She pulled out a small notepad and a pencil from her bag.

"So who are we inviting to the wedding?"

Matt looked at her curiously, a piece of egg hanging from his mouth. "You want to talk about this _now_?"

"Why not? Sure, it's early in the morning, but what else are we going to do now that we're eating? We're certainly not holding any conversation."

"That's because we're hungry", Randy said between forkfuls of pancakes.

"Anyway …", an annoyed Camilla said, "… who could you think of?"

"Well … there's Shawn and his family. Eric and his family, of course. My old … er … foster parents? The McMahons, we could invite them too. Dave's family, John's family … and I'm sure Mom and Dad would want to invite people as well."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa …", John interrupted, "… my parents aren't too happy with me right now."

"What? Why? Is it because you're a sub-par rapper?", Matt responded jokingly. The silence from Cena answered his question. "You're kidding me, right? They actually don't like your gimmick?"

Cena slammed his fork down on the table. "I told you before; this isn't a goddamn gimmick! This is my life, Matt! Why can't you see that?"

"Then how come you lose the rapper accent when you get serious? It just magically gets up and walks away?"

"**That's it!** You and me are throwin' down when we get home!"

"Hold on there, tiger! You're injured, remember?"

"You're just looking for an excuse not to fight me because you're scared!"

Matt almost sprung out of his chair, resisting slugging John across the chin. Taking a deep breath, Matt spoke forcefully, but calmly. "John. You're my tag team partner. I'm trying to look out for you. What happened to you yesterday was serious, and you're just ready to make it worse! Right now, I'm gonna do my best to win those titles, then take the one Jeff has away!"

"Wait a minute …", interrupted Batista, "…you can't just _take_ the title away from him. Bischoff won't let you. I think you're overreacting a little."

"_**Overreacting?!**_ Dave, you're the last person I would expect to hear that from!"

"Hold on, Orton! You don't even know that Hardy did this for sure!"

"Bullcrap! Look at Cena's shirt! See those gray speckles? That's glow-in-the-dark body paint. Only Jeff wears something like that!"

"Still, I think you could get to the bottom of this a little bit more."

Resigned, Matt didn't want to push the situation any further. Getting into an argument with Batista was like signing your own death warrant. Matt had beaten Dave before, but that was in a ring; getting into a fight with him out in public … not a good idea. Before long, the sun started to rise, and an early morning warmth settled on the airport. Evolution took their bags, loaded them into a van, and drove off to the Orton household. Once there, John and Randy decided to get some real sleep, Cena dropping himself on the couch and Orton barely making it up the stairs to his room. Camilla and Dave started to make their own coffee in the kitchen while Matt dug around his bag for his cell phone.

"_What the hell … where did I put that damn thing?"_

Matt heard a glass break, and thought someone in the kitchen had dropped something. However, Matt felt the vibration of his phone in his pocket and realized it was ringing.

"_Jeez … I must be really frustrated not to notice it there._ Hello?"

"Matt! It's Eric."

"Well, just the person I needed to talk to. What's up?"

"It's about Jeff."

"_Could this get any easier?_ What about him?"

"He's been acting a little strange. He's more detached than he usually is."

"I think I know why. When you got to the arena Monday night, what was Jeff doing?"

"After we moved our bags to the locker room, Jeff said he had to go back to get something from the car that he forgot. After a while, he came back all out of breath with nothing in his hand. I never really thought about it."

"Has he said anything to you?"

"No, not really. As a matter of fact, I don't think he's said a word to me in a couple of weeks."

"It's because he hasn't been getting along with Matt."

"You?"

"No, dummy. His brother."

"And you know this … how?"

"Jeff opened up to me after our match yesterday. Told me that I reminded him of Matt. It creeped me out. And now we think that it was Jeff that attacked John."

"… _what?_"

"Listen, I know it sounds wacky, but hear me out. On the flight back here, Camilla noticed some flecks of something on Cena's shirt. It's the same body paint that Jeff wore at No Way Out. And now with you saying that Jeff 'went back to the car' and that he was out of breath when he came back … it looks like that my detective work is done."

"… and your teaming with him …"

"So you believe me?"

"I think. I mean … it makes sense. It's just strange that you picked him to fill in Cena's spot."

"It was planned. The tone of Jeff's voice that night kinda rattled me. And when Camilla found the body paint, I put two and two together."

"Wow … Shawn's going to want to hear about this. What are you guys going to do about it?"

"I don't know. This is all kind of sudden. I don't want to kick Jeff off the team; I'm sure Bischoff will disqualify us for some reason. I may just try to win the match without Jeff's help."

"You can't let him think that you know what's going on. If he did something like that to Cena, think about what he could do to you."

"Don't worry about it; nothing will happen. Tell Shawn, but tell him to keep it a secret for now. We'll confront Jeff the Monday after Backlash."

"Why not do it sooner?"

"I want to win those tag titles."

"Wait … you're gonna go ahead with this even though you're pairing up with the guy who attacked one of your best friends?"

"Eric, I worked my ass off for those belts and I'm not going to let Hardy take the chance I have away from me!"

"And Cena didn't?"

"What the hell do you want me to do then? Huh? What the hell am I supposed to do?!"

"I'm not going to help you on this one. And you better make the right decision. _Click_."

Camilla and Batista leaned their heads into the room as Matt put the phone down on the table and put his head in his hands. Orton looked over at his tag partner before starting to speak.

"He's right. He's absolutely right. I have to stop being selfish. I thought I had rid myself of Hunter's influence, but I guess it's not completely gone. I restrained myself for Randy, and now I'm going to do it for John."

Matt nearly fell out of his chair when Cena sat straight up.

"Bros for life, dawg." John held out a fist.

"You … you were listening the entire time?"

"Yep. At first, I thought I was going to have to pound your head in. But after that little speech, I know that you're not fake."

Orton looked down at the fist John was still extending and pounded it with one of his own.

"… I can't believe I'm going to say this." Matt looked at his hand and took a deep breath before making the same hand gesture Cena does before every match. "Word life, John."

John grinned from ear to ear and slapped Matt on the back. "So what do you plan to do about Hardy?"

"I don't know quite yet. But if you screw with my family, you answer to me."

* * *

Backlash. Another pay-per-view. Matt stood behind the curtain, taking a deep breath. He lived for these events. This year, he almost won the Royal Rumble, won the Intercontinental Championship at No Way Out, and put Kane of all people on the shelf at WrestleMania. Tonight, Orton was supposed to win the World Tag Team Championships with his partner, John Cena. Matt, however, would have to suck up his pride. 

"_Because of you, Jeff Hardy, all that was thrown away. All because you can't get along with your brother. I may not get the tag belts tonight, but I guess I __**can**__ learn something from you, Jeff. I'll __**never … EVER**__ separate myself from my brother so much that I have to find a replacement like you miserably tried to."_

"Hey, Matt!"

Orton snapped out of his thoughts and looked to his side to see Jeff running up to his side. Matt remembered his efforts to keep Hardy in the dark and changed his demeanor, cracking a smile. Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer were already out in the ring, and Hardy's music had just hit. As soon as Jeff walked out onto the stage, Matt put on the Chain Gang jersey, hat, and chain that he had snatched from Cena's bag. Turning to the sound guy, Matt told him to play a different song rather than 'Line in the Sand'.

"_This oughta be for a good laugh. I don't know how everyone else will react, but Cena will be laughing his ass off."_

Backstage, Evolution watched as Hardy posed in the ring. Matt hadn't told them what the plan was, but the younger Orton assured them that Jeff wouldn't leave Backlash on his own two feet. Once Hardy's music quit, everyone expected 'Line in the Sand' to start playing.

But a grin spread across Cena's face as he heard his own theme music, 'Basic Thuganomics', play. Matt walked out to much the same routine as Cena would, much to the delight of his tag partner in the back. The rest of Evolution was a little weirded out, but amused nevertheless. Even the ring announcer was a little confused, nearly saying that Matt was from West Newbury.

"What's gotten into you?", Jeff asked once Matt got to the ring.

"Just payin' tribute to Cena. After all, if it wasn't for him, we probably wouldn't be here." Matt said that to see if he could evoke a response from Jeff, and sure enough, a small scowl formed on Hardy's face. As the match was about to begin, Jeff was stepping out onto the apron, but Matt stopped him.

"You first. Let me finish the match."

Jeff nodded and started off for his team. The match was back and forth, with RVD and Dreamer working well together. Hardy managed most of the match by himself quite well, rebounding from being trapped in a corner to executing some great high flying moves. Matt screamed out for a tag, and Jeff was happy to oblige. He knocked Van Dam off the apron, and drug Dreamer over to Matt. Getting the tag, Orton stepped in and whipped Dreamer to the turnbuckle. Jeff looked overjoyed when Matt set himself up as a springboard for Jeff, signaling for a Whisper in the Wind. However, as Jeff ran towards the corner, Orton sprung up and caught his partner by putting Jeff on his shoulders.

The crowd, the referee, and the commentators were confused as Matt slammed Jeff down with an FU. Cena was going crazy with whoops and cheers, while Randy, Dave, and Camilla all nodded in approval. Matt got out of the ring and picked Dreamer up, rolling him back into the ring. Van Dam got up onto the turnbuckle and hit the Five-Star Frog Splash. Still stunned, the ref dropped to the mat and counted to three.

Everyone was still in silence, wondering what the hell just happened. Van Dam and Dreamer both shook Matt's hand in the middle of the ring.

"John and I are coming for you guys", Matt said as the ref handed the tag titles to the winners of the match.

Van Dam nodded. "We'll be ready for you two." They slipped out of the ring and held the titles up in the air in victory. Matt watched them walk back up the ramp, but spun around when he heard someone climb in the ring hastily. Jeff was in the ring, holding a steel pipe in his hands. The audience made the connection, and spout out a chorus of boos at Hardy. Matt's suspicions were now confirmed, but he wasn't out of the woods yet. After all … Jeff was about to attack him with the same weapon that took out John.

Not backing down from a fight, Orton dodged a swing of the pipe, quickly spun around, and nailed the RKO on Hardy. Randy swelled with pride at his brother, watching him go up to the top and hit the Somersault Leg Drop. Matt posed on the turnbuckle; he may not have the tag titles just yet, but, like his other three pay-per-views, Backlash definitely wasn't a forgettable event for Matt.

* * *

As Matt returned to the locker room, Randy was heading out. His match against Eric was next. Matt stole a look at Randy's Intercontinental belt, then looked his brother in the eyes. 

"I'm proud of you, Matt. Took a lot of self-control to give up something you worked hard for."

"RVD and Dreamer are happy to give me and John a title shot sometime down the road. For now, you better keep that belt so I can take it from you later."

"Huh … I would think you would want Eric to win. Besides, you can't beat me."

Matt rolled his eyes. "You got lucky last time."

"Luck? Hardly", Randy said before walking off towards the entrance ramp. Suddenly, Cena grabbed Matt from behind and drug him into the room.

"Dude! Chain Gang fo' life, bro!", Cena exclaimed, pointing to the jersey Matt was wearing.

"This isn't so bad, I guess. This could be our new gimm … er … um …"

"Go ahead, say it."

"No … no. I'll wear the gear and stuff, but I won't rap."

"Ok. I think I can handle that."

A knock at the door. Matt turned around and yanked it open. Matt Hardy was standing in front of him.

"Hey … um … I wanted to apologize for my brother. This is partially my fault."

"Well … maybe. Listen, I don't know what caused you and Jeff to feud like this, but don't let him slip away. I spent sixteen years of my life away from my own brother and, after just over a year, I've never been happier. Don't turn your back on your own flesh and blood, man. You may never be able to get it back."

"Yeah. I was a bit of an ass to him, and I know how depressed he can become." Hardy peered behind Matt to look at Cena. "You okay, John?"

"I'm fine, homie. Now go get your bro."

Orton shook Hardy's hand before Hardy dashed off to find his brother.

"You spoke like you were on an after school special", Camilla blurted out.

Dave chuckled. "You did well, Orton. Both in the ring, and just now."

"Thanks." To get a compliment from Batista was incredibly hard to do.

Another knock at the door. This time, Camilla opened it to find Eric Bischoff behind it.

"So Hardy was your attacker?" Bischoff said to Cena. "I guess I should have let you stay in the tournament."

"When do we get our proper title shot?", Cena and Orton said simultaneously.

"Give it a little time. You'll get your shot, no doubt about it. But with the draft tomorrow, let's let the effects of it settle before you guys try to shake the title scene up. If all goes well, you guys can have it at Judgment Day."

Cena looked distressed, but Matt nodded his head with a smile on his face. Bischoff walked out of the room.

"Judgment Day? That's another three weeks away, bro! We deserve those belts now!"

"So? We have our shot. It doesn't matter when it happens."

Again, Batista nodded his head in approval. About ten minutes later, Randy came back to the locker room.

"Still the champ, huh?", Matt declared.

Randy raised it above Matt's head. "Yep. And it'll stay with me."

"We'll see. I never invoked my rematch clause. Tomorrow night, I'm using it."

* * *

_Matt keeps his pride and Randy keeps his title. What will Shawn have to say to Jeff tomorrow night? And with the draft looming, what superstars will make the trip from Smackdown to RAW? But more importantly, will someone from Evolution or DX be drafted to Smackdown?_

_Forty chapters down, god knows how many more to come. Hope you've enjoyed it so far! Please review!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	41. Shuffle

_Backlash comes to a close. The draft has a chance to severely shake up the foundation of Evolution and/or D-Generation X. Randy then makes an important decision._

_Hope you like it!_

* * *

The RAW main event for the night had already been underway for some time now. Eric had joined Evolution in their locker room to watch the match; Jeff Hardy was nowhere to be found. In the ring, HBK was in the corner, tuning up the band for a groggy Triple H, much to the delight of the fans. Suddenly, they all started to boo loudly; the camera zoomed out to show Jeff Hardy getting on the apron. He distracted the referee and Shawn turned his back to Hunter. 

"Oh crap …", Eric said as he watched Matt Hardy slide into the ring from the crowd, wielding a lead pipe.

"Looks like Hunter has some new lackeys", Batista commented.

In response, Matt, Eric, and John sprung up and ran out of the locker room towards the ring. They ran as fast as they could, but they were too late. Hardy had slammed the pipe on Shawn's lower back, Hunter had hit the Pedigree, and obtained the three count before the trio made it to ringside. Both Hardys dashed up the ramp, Triple H not far behind. Eric attended to Shawn while Matt and John taunted the three cowards standing at the top of the stage. Hunter smiled haughtily and held the World title high in the air. Matt had to hold back an eager John from running back up the ramp and charging Hunter.

"Not tonight! This can wait. They won't get away with something like this."

The pair turned around in shock when they heard a loud scream from the fallen Heartbreak Kid.

"He's hurt bad! His back … he can't stand up!", exclaimed a seemingly panicked Eric.

Cena looked at the face of intense pain on Shawn and recognized this as something far more severe than what happened to him. Paramedics rushed down to the ring and took Shawn away. Batista, Randy, and Camilla headed off to the hotel to rest while Matt, John, and Eric took a car to the hospital. After Shawn arrived at the emergency room, Eric sat down in the waiting room, nearly in tears.

"… I'm the only one left."

"Only _what_ left?", asked Orton.

"I'm the only DX member left. Looks like Hunter has his mission nearly complete."

"We're not gonna let him take you out. I guarantee that, Eric. You have to carry on for DX. Shawn wants you to do that."

Eric chuckled weakly. "I'm surprised you haven't tried to recruit me into Evolution."

Matt smiled and shook his head. "I'm over that. You know better. Besides, I don't think Shawn would want me taking his best bud away from him."

"But the draft tomorrow … what if I get sent to Smackdown? I don't know anyone over there! What the hell would I do?"

"You gotta stop worryin', bro!", exclaimed Cena. "It's not a for sure thing about tomorrow. You can't let the future hold you back right now. Trips ain't gonna go far now, no matter who he has by his side. He's got all six of us gunning for him now. Me, you, Matt, Randy, Dave, even Camilla."

"But you two are chasing the tag titles. Don't you want a title shot?"

"Bischoff already gave us our shot at Judgment Day. We don't have to worry about that now", replied Matt.

Eric took a deep breath and nodded. "Then Hunter has it coming for him."

Soon afterwards, a doctor came out and addressed the trio. Shawn's spinal column had been severely misaligned, needing surgery as soon as possible. He would eventually make a recovery, but Shawn's career was in serious jeopardy. Eric sat back down in disbelief with Matt trying to comfort him. Some moments later, Eric made a forceful statement, balling a fist in anger.

"Everything that I do the next few months …. I'm doing it for Shawn."

* * *

The next evening, Eric had asked to take up residence with Evolution; he didn't want to be alone in the DX locker room. Batista was a little annoyed; another young one to interact with Randy, Matt, and John couldn't bode well for him. Earlier that night, they had received a bulletin from Eric Bischoff that told of how the draft would work. RAW was to be three hours long, with several interbrand matches occurring. There would be no regular matches that night. 

"_Dammit … that wrecks my plan to challenge Randy for the title!"_

Seemingly reading his mind, Randy held the title in Matt's face, taunting him. The younger Orton shook it off and read the rest of the bulletin. The winner of each match would win a draft pick for their brand, chosen at random from a Royal Rumble-style tumbler. Everyone was eligible, from wrestlers, divas, referees, and even the general managers themselves. Just a few minutes before the night started, Batista summoned Evolution to the center of the room for a pep talk.

"Remember, no matter what happens tonight, we are still Evolution. It doesn't matter if all of us are on RAW or if we're split between RAW and Smackdown, we're still a family." Batista noticed that someone was missing from the group. "Hey … Eric! Get over here!"

Barringer had been sitting in a corner, focusing on what could be his last night on RAW. Shaken from his thoughts, he walked over to the group, who had put their hands together all in the center of the circle.

"But I'm not in …"

"It doesn't matter, Barringer. You're still part of this."

Smiling, Eric got up eagerly and stepped in between Matt and John, putting his hand in along with everyone else's.

"Now, like I was saying, we're all a family. We live as one, we fight as one, we _win_ as one! And we'll never be torn apart!"

Everyone was still a bit surprised by Batista's words; Dave was normally the calm, passive voice of reason, never really exposing his emotions. Eric, Randy, Matt, John, and Camilla all let out a resounding '**YEAH!**' as they threw their hands up in unison. Just then, the opening pyro for RAW started, and Eric Bischoff and Stephanie McMahon walked out to the ring, explaining how the draft would work for the fans. They would be ringside for each match, having the winner of the match hand pick the draftee.

"And first …", Bischoff yelled into the microphone, "… and first, we'll have a #1 contender's match! The #1 contender from each brand will face each other and the winner will receive their choice of stipulation for the match at Judgment Day!"

Batista was confused. He should be on his way to the ring right now, and everyone recognized that. However, when Kevin Nash stepped onto the stage in his wrestling gear, Dave went completely crazy. The rest of the group backed off as Batista stormed out and started wrecking the hallway, throwing chairs and tables everywhere.

"Well, if we're a family", Matt commented, "he's certainly inherited the Orton temper."

There was hearty chuckle from everyone in the room. The Big Show would be Nash's opponent, and Evolution decided to change into their gear. They didn't know if they would be competing at all tonight, and if they were, they wanted to be ready. Randy could still hear Batista destroying the hallway when he heard a familiar voice come from the doorway.

"Is Dave alright?"

Randy rushed out of the bathroom and fell flat on his back, slipping on the pair of pants he was taking off. Matt started to laugh uncontrollably while Torrie went over to help Randy up.

"Are you okay?", a concerned Torrie asked.

"Yeah … I'm fine. Shut up, Matt!", Randy yelled to his brother, who was still rolling on the floor in laughter. Torrie giggled, which caught Randy's attention again.

"You know … that's part of the reason I love you so much. You're such a goof."

The older Orton's face turned from one of smiles to seriousness. Camilla kicked Matt in the back and pointed at Randy; Matt took one look and knew that it was going to happen now. He stopped laughing, got up, and held Camilla's hand in anxiety.

"Ever since I met you when I was on Smackdown, I felt like there was a part of me inside you…"

Eric chuckled. Matt smacked him across the back of the head.

"… and I felt complete whenever I was in your presence. Torrie, I love that feeling. And I never want to let it go. I know I'm ready, and I hope you are too."

Randy bent down and grabbed something from his pants pocket. Camilla squeezed Matt's hand, Matt took in a sharp breath, Cena and Eric raised their eyebrows, and Torrie gasped when Randy got down on one knee. He opened the jewelry box, exposing the ring.

"In boxers and all …", Randy chuckled before taking a deep breath. "Torrie Wilson, will you marry me?"

Matt smiled when he heard those words. Randy came to the decision by himself that he was mentally prepared enough, or else this wouldn't be happening. For once, Matt was filled with pride at his older brother. The hard part for Randy was over. Now it was all up to Torrie. As she gawked at the ring in front of her, Torrie covered her mouth. The rest of the room watched with still hearts when Batista burst back into the room.

"**What the hell **is going on … oh … sorry", Batista stammered as he realized what Randy was doing.

Torrie, surprisingly, started to laugh. Matt and Randy thought that that was the wrong thing to do with an angry Dave in the room, but Batista started to chuckle as well. Turning back around to her boyfriend, Torrie took Randy's hand in hers. Matt gulped, worried about his brother being rejected.

"Randy, no …"

Matt's heart sunk.

" … other thing would make me happier."

Matt's heart rose back up in his chest. With big smiles on their faces, Matt and Camilla hugged each other in relief. As Randy got back up and embraced Torrie, John, Eric, and Dave started to applaud. Matt went over and congratulated his brother, slapping him on the back and giving him a hug.

"I'm proud of ya, man", Matt said, getting a little teary eyed.

"Hey … I'm supposed to say that."

They turned around to look at the monitor as they heard the bell. Apparently, the Big Show had won his match, and was now picking a ball from the tumbler. Everyone but Torrie was in danger of being drafted, and hearts were stopped in anticipation just as they were a few moments ago. Big Show looked at the paper inside, nodded, then handed the slip to Stephanie McMahon.

"The first draft pick, going to Smackdown ….. **Goldberg!**"

A collective sigh of relief filled the Evolution locker room. They were all safe. For now, at least.

* * *

Eric had just returned from the ring, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. He was victorious in his match against Matt Hardy, and couldn't be more pleased at the beating he put down on the man who was responsible for taking out Shawn Michaels. Eric was even more pleased when he picked Matt Hardy's name out of the tumbler, putting both Hardy brothers on RAW. Revenge would be sweet. 

A knock at the door. "Mrs. Orton! You're up next!", came a voice from the hallway.

"_Mrs. Orton_? I like the sound of that", Matt said.

"We'll have to wait until July to start using it officially though", Camilla replied.

Matt smiled and kissed Camilla. "Get out there and kick ass, baby."

"I'll be back in five minutes."

And, lo and behold, she was. Dawn Marie from Smackdown was Camilla's opponent, and after an initial bout of hair pulling, Camilla took Dawn Marie down with a drop toe hold, and used Cena's STFU to make her tap out. Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas were drafted as a tag team to RAW. Matt and John grimaced, thinking about another tag team to deal with in the race for the World Tag Team Championship. Camilla walked back to the locker room.

"I told you I would be back in five minutes."

Matt smirked and gave Camilla another kiss. With Camilla still undefeated and holding the Women's title, Evolution was looking like they would dominate the night. Familiar music started to play, and everyone looked to the monitor to see RAW's next representative: Jeff Hardy.

"This oughta be good. I guess we're cheering for whoever …"

Eric let out a scream when he heard a long '**GONG**' come from the monitor. Just as Matt was terrified of Kane when he was little, Eric couldn't even bare to look at the Undertaker. However, unlike Matthew, Eric retained his fear for the Deadman. Eric took a little solace as he watched Taker destroy the remaining Hardy brother. After the match, Taker took the ball from the tumbler, looked at the name on the piece of paper, and grinned. Red flames burst forth from the stage and Kane limped out onto the stage, still hurting from the match at WrestleMania. Backstage, Matt grinned slyly; his nemesis was now on Smackdown.

"I bet you're happy, huh, Matt?", asked Randy.

"You should be too. One less competitor for your title, eh?", replied Matt.

"So you finally concede that this is mine?", Randy asked, patting the Intercontinental belt on his shoulder.

Matt looked at the ground for a bit before responding. "Seeing as how you've defended it quite a bit, and I lost it on my first defense … yeah. It's yours."

Randy smirked and continued the earlier conversation. "I wouldn't count my eggs before they hatch. There's still five matches left to go. Five more possible contenders to worry about."

"Well, if we don't want any more people drafted to RAW, let's just throw any of the matches that we get put in."

Bad idea.

Everyone else in the room turned towards the younger Orton with looks of confusion and disgust on their faces. Dave got up in Matt's face.

"Okay! Okay! Maybe that wasn't such a good idea."

"You bet your damn ass it wasn't", declared an angry Batista. "If you _ever_ mention something like that again, I'll put your ass through a table!"

Scared, Matt looked over at his brother for support, only to find Randy shaking his head.

"Alright! Please, just don't hurt me!"

Randy let out a loud laugh and Matt could only look over at him with frustration. Batista stepped away and everyone sat back down to watch the next matches. Kurt Angle beat Scott Steiner, sending Three Minute Warning to Smackdown. Next, in a Champions vs. Champions match, Eddie and Chavo Guerrero beat Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer; Christian joined the Smackdown roster as a result. Evolution watched the next match intently; it was another Champion vs. Champion match. Triple H was about to face Brock Lesnar.

"Should we go help Brock? You know, screw Hunter over a bit?", asked Matt.

"No. Bischoff won't like it if we get Hunter disqualified. The last thing he needs is one of his own superstars costing RAW a draft pick. Besides, don't you want to get Torrie over here for your brother?", replied Batista. Matt cut his thoughts, not wanting to earn anymore of Batista's ire. He looked over to Randy, who looked anxious. Brock was dominating the match, and it looked like Smackdown would have another draftee. Matt went over and sat down next to his brother.

"Hey … there's still two more matches. Me, you, Dave, and John haven't gone out there yet. We still have a chance. And it's not like you won't be able to see Torrie if she doesn't get drafted over here. You've seen her plenty while we've been on RAW."

"Yeah … but if she gets drafted, she'll be able to move in with us, and I'll be with her at all times."

Matt didn't know why he said what he did to his brother. Even though Randy had popped the question, he would still be devastated if Torrie didn't get drafted to RAW. They heard the bell ring, and Brock had won the match after an F5. Booker T was sent to Smackdown.

Another knock at the door. "Mr. Batista!"

Dave smiled. His turn was now at bat. With one match to go, Matt, Randy, and John were beginning to feel left out. Once in the ring, Batista found out that his opponent would be Rhyno. Backstage, Randy stepped outside for some fresh air. Matt followed close behind.

"Randy, I know what you're …"

"Stop. Just stop. I have to deal with the fact that Torrie isn't going to be drafted to RAW."

"You don't know that. When Dave wins, it could be him that pulls Torrie's name out."

"And if that doesn't happen? There's only one more chance!"

"Listen, it'll be one of us. Bischoff would be stupid not to put the whole of Evolution in the draft matches. Whether it be me, you, or John, we'll beat whoever we're put up against. It can't be anyone too hard. Stephanie's already used up Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, and the Undertaker. Who else is there?"

"Well … you've got a point. The match is a given. But it comes all down to luck when we pick the name. There's a lot of choices in that tumbler; only _one _of them is Torrie."

"Randy, I'm trying to be positive and optimistic for you, and all you're doing is shoving that away!"

"I know … I'm sorry. It's just hard to be positive with the odds that are against it happening. You're the math man, aren't you? What exactly are the odds?"

"That doesn't matter. It's going to happen. Believe me. Just believe me. Tell ya what. If Torrie's name isn't pulled out of the hat, I'll let you kick my ass when we get home."

Randy's face perked up. "Now, I could _always_ go for that."

"That's the attitude I want you to have. Come on. Dave's probably already won."

The two brothers walked back into the hallway to find Batista walking slowly back from the ring.

"Tired, eh?", Matt asked. "Did you win?"

"It wasn't easy … but I won."

"Who'd you draft?", asked an eager Randy.

"Well, it wasn't Torrie." The older Orton sighed. "It was the Undertaker." Matt's eyes were wide open at this news. The thought of the Undertaker coming after him for hurting Kane filled his mind. He quickly shook it off, trying to look confident to bolster his brother's spirits. It had just seemed like seconds after they sat back down in the locker room when the match coordinator knocked on the door.

"Mr. Orton!"

"Which one?", yelled the whole room.

"Both of them! And Mr. Cena too!"

Randy, Matt, and John looked at each other with jaws to the ground. Out of all matches, a six-man tag was the last they were expecting. Eric and Dave gave Cena a high five, Torrie gave Randy a kiss, and Camilla gave Matt a slap on the ass.

"Ow!"

"Just go out there and kick butt", Camilla retorted.

The trio walked out into the hall after Matt put on his new Chain Gang jersey.

"You're actually going to wear that?", Randy asked Matt.

"Chain Gang fo' life, yo!", rang out John and Matt together.

"Oh, brother …"

* * *

Evolution was in a bad way. Their opponents, Edge, Rey Mysterio, and Ric Flair, had been dominant the whole match. John had been the victim of a 619, Randy nearly lost it after Edge's spear, and Matt just barely reached the ropes to get out of Flair's Figure Four. 

"We … we have to mount some sort of offense", Matt said to his brother, watching John get manhandled by Edge.

"… Watch this then."

When Edge whipped John to the turnbuckle, Randy slapped him on the back, which counted as a tag. John ducked the clothesline, moved out of the way, and let Randy hit an RKO out of nowhere. Mysterio and Flair climbed in to defend their partner, but were intercepted by John and Matt respectively. Cena lifted up Mysterio for the FU and Orton caught Flair in the MKO position. Suddenly, Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle rushed down to the ring and pulled the referee out of the ring, knocking him out in the process.

"No … goddammit, no! Not this way!", yelled J.R. from ringside.

Reacting quickly, Randy tried to block Lesnar and Angle from entering the ring, but was caught from behind by Edge with a low blow. Just as fast as Lesnar and Angle came down to the ring, Batista and Eric dashed down to level the playing field. With Mysterio and Flair down, John and Matt assaulted Angle while Dave and Eric took on Lesnar. Randy stayed focused on Edge and threw him over the top rope. Cena sent Angle over the top rope with a FU and Batista put Lesnar on the floor with a Batista Bomb.

Mysterio and Flair were still out in the middle of the ring. As the referee was stirring, Eric and Dave quickly moved out of the ring, Matt and John got back onto the apron, and Randy quickly went for the three count. A Smackdown referee came down from behind the curtain, ran around the bodies on the floor, and started the count.

"1, 2, …"

But the ref wouldn't count the three. He got up and shook his head at Randy. Bischoff shot up from his chair at ringside and immediately cried foul, but was silenced by Stephanie McMahon, who started choking him out. Orton wanted to strangle the ref, but was held back by the threat of disqualification. However, Randy's face turned from one of frustration to one of laughter when the newly revived RAW referee punched the Smackdown ref, knocking him down. Randy tagged in his brother, who immediately put the Texas Cloverleaf on Flair. Not to be left out, Cena came in and put Rey Mysterio in the STFU. Edge tried to creep in again, but was met with another RKO. After Matt put all the strength he could into the hold, Flair couldn't take it anymore and tapped out.

"That almost was a disaster", said an exhausted Matt after posing on the turnbuckle with Randy.

"Hey, guys … the draft pick?", Cena reminded the brothers. Matt and Randy looked at each other as the tumbler was brought into the ring. The ref opened the tumbler, and motioned for Matthew to make the pick.

"No … Randy does it."

Taking a deep breath, Orton pulled out the first capsule he touched. He wanted to open it, but couldn't bare to watch. Rolling his eyes, Matt opened the capsule and looked at the name on the piece of paper. Randy watched on in horror as Matt's eyes sunk to the ground. The older Orton looked like he was about to cry just as Matt handed the paper to him.

"_Wait a minute …"_

Randy dropped the paper and immediately chased Matt out of the ring. Cena was a little confused as he saw Randy catch up to Matt and lock in a sleeper hold. John picked up the paper, and, along with Eric Bischoff, looked at the name. John smiled, realizing what Matt had been up to, and Bischoff grabbed a microphone from ringside.

"The final draft pick of the night … **Torrie Wilson**!"

Torrie's music hit, and she walked out onto the stage as Matt had just blacked out and fell to the floor. Randy looked up and embraced his fiancée, kissing her like it was their last night to live.

* * *

_Evolution stays intact, Eric gets some revenge on Hardy, and Randy can rest easily knowing that he'll be with Torrie on RAW. With the draft now behind them, can Evolution focus back on their goals? Or will other circumstances stop them in their tracks?_

_Whew … that was a long one. Hope you liked it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	42. Expansion

_To all those who have reviewed recently, I thank you soooo much! It really makes me smile to know that people like my writings._

_Back at the house, two people decide to pull pranks on everyone in the house, some with unintended consequences. After the draft, Randy's prayers have been answered: Torrie is now on RAW with him. However, the draft has also brought potential new problems with Matt Hardy, Team Angle, and the Undertaker. Could this interfere with any hopes for gold?_

_Steamrollin' along! See you at the end!_

* * *

It was very early Wednesday morning. Matt was up rummaging in the pantry, looking for a snack. He wasn't able to sleep because of so many thoughts jumbling around in his mind. Orton would now have to deal with the new draftees in addition to all of his other problems concerning Triple H and the World Tag Team titles. And then the thought of Torrie and Randy getting married and then getting married to Camilla … it was a bit too much for him. After not finding anything appetizing, Matt closed the pantry and reached over to the refrigerator. 

"**AHHHH!**", Matt screamed as someone put a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Randy and John standing behind him.

"You idiots!", Matt exclaimed, shoving his brother with both hands. "You two nearly gave me a goddamn heart attack!"

"You should have seen your face! You screamed like a little gir … **oww!**", Cena yelled as Matt punched him in the shoulder.

"What the hell are you two doing up anyway?"

"I should ask you the same question", Randy retorted.

"I've got a legitimate reason. I'm hungry. What the hell are you doing down here?"

"Getting the whipped cream. We're gonna pull something on Dave."

Matt opened his eyes wide at his brother and his best friend. "Whoa … hold on. Don't you know what you are getting yourselves into? Dave's not gonna take this very well. He might get mad … and I'm understating that."

"Bro, we gotta teach Dave to lighten up", Cena replied. "Homeboy's way too serious."

"And you think pulling a prank on Batista is the best way to get him to relax? Yeah … I don't think so. As a matter of fact, I'm not going to let you go through with this." Matt closed the fridge and yanked the can of whipped cream from Randy's hand, getting a chuckle from his brother.

"You actually are going to try to stop us? _Both_ of us?", Randy said.

"If that's what I have to do … yeah. A handicap match right here in the kitchen." Matt put his hands up as if he was ready for a fight. "What I can do to you is nothing compared to what Dave could deal out. I don't want to see your dismembered heads in the backyard in the morning."

"I don't need my little brother trying to protect me", Randy said, stepping just in front of Matt. The younger Orton responded by punching Randy hard in the stomach, then clubbing him in the back with a strong forearm.

"Now I'm not protecting you. Now I'm kicking your ass."

Matt started kicking his brother in the gut, but didn't get many shots in before Cena pulled Matt back, locking Matt's arms behind him.

"Let me go! Dammit, John! Let me go!"

"Whoa, man! Chill! We don't need this right now!"

Matt struggled, but John's grip was too much for him. Randy got up, regaining his breath, and threw the can of whipped cream directly at Matt. The blunt end of the can hit Matt in the temple, and John felt Matt quit struggling. Randy watched his brother crumple to the floor.

"You two need to go to anger management classes or somethin'. Jeez", Cena exclaimed, looking down at Matt's unconscious body. "We can't just leave him here though."

"He'll be fine. If anything, he'll wake up and grab something to eat. Come on …" Randy said grabbing the can of whipped cream, " … grab the feather duster from under the sink and pluck a feather out."

"I remember this … you pulled this prank on me when we were training together a few years ago."

"A classic. Now let's go wake up Dave."

The two slipped out the back door towards the guest house, where Batista had been shacking up since Evolution was born. Using an spare key, Randy carefully unlocked the front door and the pair snuck into the room. Dave was a loud snorer; Orton and Cena had a bit of breathing room if any mistakes were made. Luckily, Dave had his hand palm up already, and Randy slowly filled it up with whipped cream. John stood over his bed and gently brushed the feather near Dave's nose. Their hearts stopped as Batista's hand came to his face. Not wanting to get caught, Randy and John silently ran out of the guest house just as a revived Matt was walking in to stop them.

"Oh, goddammit …" Matt walked in to survey the damage and saw Dave sitting up in his bed, still clearing the whipped cream from his eyes. Orton grabbed the can and shook his head, knowing that Randy had gotten himself in all sorts of trouble.

"**ORTON!**", Dave yelled.

But Batista was looking straight at him. Matt looked at the can of whipped cream in his hand and realized that _he_ was the one in trouble, not Randy.

"Hold on, Dave! I … I didn't do it! It was …"

"**Orton … you … are … **_**dead**_"

Matt tried to turn around and run, but was caught by Batista's hand. It felt like a vicegrip on his shoulder, and Matt screamed out in pain. Meanwhile, Randy and John were watching the debacle from a tall shrub. Randy was laughing as hard as he could, but John was cringing at seeing Matt get manhandled. Dave had punched Matt several times in the stomach, then launched him through the hallway and onto the backyard lawn. Batista was readying the Batista Bomb when he saw Randy laughing his ass off. John shrunk back behind the shrub to avoid being seen.

"Wait … it wasn't you, Matt?"

"Unghhhhhh …", Matt moaned out, still out of breath and clinging on to consciousness. Dave dropped Matt to the ground and started to charge towards Randy, who was still laughing.

"No!", Matt creaked out. "Don't hurt him!"

Just as Batista was about to level Randy out with a spear, he stopped in his tracks. John came out from behind the shrub and smacked Randy in the back of the head to make him stop laughing. Matt was just now getting up, clutching his stomach and the back of his neck.

"I'll deal with Randy later. You just go back to sleep."

"Sleep? I'm already too wide awake to go back to sleep. You okay?"

"I can manage. Just let me deal with him."

Batista looked back at Randy and narrowed his eyes, but reluctantly trudged back to the guest house. John ran over and helped Matt walk back to the house, Randy following close behind.

"You know, you should be thankful that you didn't get your ass handed to you out there, Randy", John mentioned. "Dave really could have put a beating on you."

Randy opened his mouth in protest, but decided not to say anything when Matt looked at him straight in the eye. A large welt was forming on the spot where the can of whipped cream had hit Matt, and two large bruises were apparent on Matt's stomach.

"I guess I ended up protecting you anyway."

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to see if …"

"You don't have to explain yourself. Consider this one a freebie. Next time, I won't be so forgiving", Matt said, taking a sip of water. "You guys want something to eat? There's some pizza left in the fridge."

"Listen, you were in the wrong place at the wrong time and I'm sorry. I should be the one with those bruises."

"I already told you to forget about it. Now, if you don't shut up, I'll …"

"Guys, can we just eat the damn pizza?", John said, a little annoyed.

* * *

The three men ended up falling asleep in the living room, John on the recliner, Randy on the couch, and Matthew on the loveseat, his legs hanging over the side. As 8:00 AM approached, Camilla walked downstairs to find out where Matt had gone and shook her head when she saw her fiancée out on the loveseat. However, she was more shocked when she saw the injuries that Matt had sustained last night. 

"_What the hell were they doing?"_

Camilla shook it off and walked into the kitchen, where, as usual, Batista was up making breakfast.

"Dave … you've got a little … um … something behind your ear."

Batista wiped his finger against the back of his ear and cleaned off the last bit of whipped cream.

"What happened last night?"

"The boys thought it would be prudent to play a little prank on me. Naturally, I got pissed off and started attacking Matt. But it turns out that Matt was trying to stop them from doing it. So I kinda screwed up. Matt seemed really protective of Randy; he didn't want me to pound some sense into his brother."

"He feels like he has a responsibility to keep Randy out of trouble. I guess when he realized what you could do to Randy, Matt wanted to stop it."

"And put himself in Randy's place."

"Well … I don't know if he did that intentionally … but I'm sure he'd rather take one of your beatings then let Randy get his ass beat."

"Sometimes I think Orton doesn't appreciate having a brother."

"Wait … Randy? What makes you say that?"

"If he appreciated Matt, Randy would have stopped when Matt asked him to."

"No … that was just Randy trying to get on Matt's nerves. You know them. They try to outdo each other on the smallest things. Remember when the time we went to that Chinese buffet? The sushi eating contest? I thought they would be puking up tuna."

Batista chuckled.

"Ha! And I thought the mighty Animal didn't have a sense of humor", Camilla exclaimed.

"I've got one … it just grows different with age. I don't think goofing off like a couple of high schoolers is very funny."

And then, the doorbell rang. Three loud thumps came from the living room, and Camilla surmised that the guys had each fallen out of their makeshift beds.

"Who's here this early in the morning?", Batista asked.

"Torrie. She's moving in today, remember?"

"Jeez. Is this house big enough for all of us?"

"Yeah. Matt will move into Randy's room and Torrie will move into our room until we get another bed for Torrie."

Batista stopped what he was doing and looked at Camilla with a smirk on his face.

"You're going to force Randy and Matt to sleep together in the same bed?"

"Yeah. Is that a problem?"

Dave laughed. "Now _that's_ funny. They're not going to like that."

Randy had already opened the door and greeted Torrie. Matt and John had got to their feet and went out to get Torrie's things. After everything was unloaded, breakfast was served and everyone settled in.

"So what happened to you?", Torrie asked Matt, seeing the big bump on his head.

"Randy and I got into it again. He whacked me on the head with a can of something … I don't even remember what it was."

"Have you two worked out how you're gonna sleep together?"

Randy and Matt dropped their forks and looked at each other like deer in the headlights.

"… what did you say?", Randy asked, stunned.

"What? Hasn't Camilla told you yet?"

"I am _not_ sleeping in the same bed as him! You can't make me!", replied Matt.

"I don't think you have a choice right now, Matt. Until we go out and get another bed …"

Both Randy and Matt shot up and said in unison: "We're going right now!" They started to climb the stairway to get dressed. Torrie nodded over to Camilla, and the pair jumped up and blocked the front door. Batista picked up the hint and walked over to block the back door. Reluctantly, John decided to block the set of windows closest to the driveway. When the brothers came back down, they weren't too happy.

At the end of the day, Matt and Randy were stuck in one bed.

"Just stay on your side and we'll get through this."

"Shut up and go to sleep."

Randy and Matt were opposite sides of the bed, nearly hanging over the sides. They had built a wall of blankets and pillows between them. They could hear Torrie and Camilla giggling on the other side of the wall. Several times throughout the night, Matt had managed to fall off. From the living room, John could hear this happening every ten or fifteen minutes. Even Batista in the guest house could hear the intermittent thuds faintly.

"Can you just sleep on the floor?", Randy asked, looking at the clock. "It's 4:00 AM, and we haven't gotten one bit of sleep."

"Why should _I _have to sleep on the floor? _I_ was the one forced out of my room!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa … this is _my_ room. Hence, _I_ get the bed."

Matt sat straight up and looked at his brother through narrow eyes. "Technically, _I'm_ the guest in this room. So, _I_ should get the bed."

Randy took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind.

It didn't work.

He launched himself at Matt, knocking them both off the bed. Randy wrapped his arm around Matt's neck in an effort to force his brother to go to sleep. The ruckus sent Torrie and Camilla into the room to try to stop them.

"Okay! Okay! I think we've made you suffer enough! Stop it!", Torrie yelled at Randy. Matt had stopped struggling and the brothers looked at their fiancées, confused.

"Wait … you guys wanted this to happen?", Matt asked.

"Well, after seeing what you two pulled with Batista, we thought it was appropriate punishment", Camilla replied.

The brothers looked like they were about to snap, and Camilla was prepared for it. However, they both erupted in laughter.

"I guess you deserved something like this, bro."

"_Me?_ Why not you?"

"I tried to stop you, remember?"

"Shut up before I finish choking you out."

"No", Torrie interjected. "No more roughhousing! You guys have to get to sleep. Batista's gonna put you two and John through the ringer in a couple of hours."

Matt and Randy sulked. Dave's regimen was back-breaking. It was something they dreaded.

Torrie dragged Randy off of Matt. "Now, come on. Let's go to sleep."

Matt and Camilla left the room as Torrie and Randy climbed into bed together. As Matt and Camilla did the same, Matt thought out loud.

"Do you think they … you know …"

"Why should you be worried about something like that? What they do is their business. If they decide …"

"Okay, okay. I get it. I'm still a little apprehensive towards something like that."

"That's perfectly okay. You don't have to worry about that until we get married. Besides, you'll need to save your strength for Batista's boot camp in a few hours."

Matt chuckled. "Got that right." Camilla put her head on Matt's chest and the two fell asleep.

* * *

Another Monday night had rolled around, and RAW was taking place in Columbus, Ohio. Now that the draft was over, Evolution had to deal with anything new that would come on their plate. There wasn't a published version of the card for the night, so everyone was on edge. It seemed like Bischoff was still picking up the pieces after losing most of the roster to Smackdown. Eric had run into the room, apparently, still scared that the Undertaker would come after him. As RAW started for the night, Bischoff was the first one to make his way to the ring. He was still visibly shaken from last week's events and handed a piece of paper to the ring announcer. J.R. and the King were a little confused, as was the crowd. Lilian Garcia stood up and read the piece of paper out loud. 

"Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, by order of General Manager Eric Bischoff, we'll have for our main event tonight, a Fatal-Four Way Elimination match to determine the #1 contender to Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship!"

Batista shot up off the bench in anticipation. He would go nuts if his name wasn't called out.

"The participants will be Kevin Nash …"

Most everyone saw this coming. For some reason, Bischoff seemed to favor Nash over Batista.

"… from Evolution, Batista ..."

The whole room burst out in cheers, applauding Dave's chance to finally get a shot at the belt that he's wanted ever since WrestleMania.

"… from D-Generation X, Eric Barringer …"

The applause ceased immediately. Everyone turned to Eric, who was just as shocked as everyone else. Batista was especially bewildered, wondering what Eric did to deserve a shot at being the number one contender.

"Don't look at me! I didn't ask for this!", Eric spouted out, trying to defend himself.

"… and one of the Superstars drafted from Smackdown, the Undertaker!"

Batista took this news quite calmly. Nothing intimidated the Animal; Taker was just another stepping stone to the title match at Judgment Day. Eric, however, well … fainted. Matt grabbed his bottle of water and splashed some on Eric to revive him.

"Whoa, dude, hold on. You can do this. Just look at what I went through with Kane. If I can get over my fear of him, you can certainly get over this! You just have to face your fear and kick Taker's ass!"

"But … but …"

Batista rolled his eyes. "If you want, I can put you out of your misery before Taker gets a hand on you."

Eric laughed weakly. "I don't think I'll need that."

"That's what I want to hear then. Get your ass ready; it'll be us in the final two."

Matt helped Eric up and Barringer and Batista shook hands. However, Lilian got everyone's attention again when she started to speak again.

"Then, there will be a Tag Team Turmoil match for the World Tag Team Championship! Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer will put their titles on the line against the Hardy Boyz, the Dudley Boyz, La Résistance, and Team Angle!"

Matt and John looked at each other. "What? Why the hell aren't we in this?"

"You two have a title shot at Judgment Day, remember?", Camilla mentioned.

Lilian continued. "The winners of this match will face the #1 contenders, Matthew Orton and John Cena, at Judgment Day!"

"See?", Camilla added. Matt and John nodded, happy that their title shot was still safe. Lilian didn't have anything else to say, leaving Matt, John, Randy, Torrie, and Camilla without opponents.

"Well … I'll guess we'll be back here cheering you guys on then", Camilla said sadly.

"She only announced two matches", interjected Torrie. "They can't run a whole show on two matches. I'm sure we'll be able to get in there and kick ass."

Just then, Trish Stratus and Victoria burst down the locker room door.

"You bitch! That's my title! Give it back to me right now!", Trish yelled out.

Matt and Randy looked at each other, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Forgive me, Trish", Matt interrupted, "but if I recall correctly, it was Camilla who made you tap out with a Sharpshooter last time you two met in the ring."

"Shut up, Orton!"

Camilla shot up off the bench and stared down Trish.

"_I'm_ the only one who can tell him that. If you want me in the ring, I'll be happy to make you tap out again."

Victoria suddenly shoved Camilla backwards. Torrie came from behind and speared Victoria down, and a fight ensued. Dave, Matt, John, Randy, and Eric didn't know what immediately to do, and let the four women fight it out for a bit. After a short while, Randy leaned over to Matt.

"Maybe we oughta stop this and leave something for Camilla and Torrie to beat up in the ring."

Matt nodded in agreement, and all the men worked together to separate the women. Trish muttered many obscenities as John pushed her out of the locker room; Victoria was doing the same as Batista lifted her on his shoulder and out of the room.

"Looks like you gals have made some enemies", John commented.

"That just leaves us without a match", said Randy rather quietly to John and Matt.

"You know … I could always demand my rematch for that belt", Matt said with a smirk on his face, pointing towards Randy's Intercontinental strap.

John slapped Matt on the back as Randy accepted his brother's challenge. The two stood up and stared each other down, Randy hoisting the belt high on his shoulder.

* * *

_Can Eric overcome his fear of the Undertaker? Will Batista finally get his title shot? Will Camilla and Torrie conquer their opponents? And can Matthew gain an upset victory over his brother?_

_Stay tuned! Hope you liked it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	43. Triumph

_The matches of the first RAW after the draft take place, with nearly every single member of Evolution as well as Eric in action. But more importantly, what actions outside the ring will change the attitude of the Ortons?_

_Hope you like this one!_

* * *

The Evolution locker room would be full for the first match of the night; Matt and John would be carefully monitoring the Tag Team Turmoil match, wondering who their opponents at Judgment Day would be. Before hand, Matt had discussed with Randy how he wanted Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer to keep the titles; the proper match that was supposed to take place at Backlash between the two finalists of the round robin tournament never came to fruition, and Matt wanted to see it happen. 

The rules of a Tag Team Turmoil match were simple: two teams drawn at random would start out and fight until one team gained a pinfall or submission. At that moment, one more team would enter the fray, drawn at random. This would continue until all the teams had entered the match, with the last team standing becoming the winners, and, in this case, the new World Tag Team Champions.

Even though Matt knew the rules thoroughly, it was the nature of the match that concerned him. It was his last desire to have the Hardy brothers enter the match last and pick up the titles easily. He thought Eric would better like getting his hands on the men responsible for sidelining Shawn.

"_But Eric now has his hands full with the Undertaker. He's not going to have time to worry about Matt and Jeff."_

Matt peered over at Eric, who was sitting in the corner of the room, deep in thought and concentration. Eric was shaking, evidently still scared at his opponent for the night. Batista had already agreed to help get rid of Taker quickly, but it seemed Eric couldn't shake off his intense dread.

"Yo, Matt! The match is starting!"

John's voice interrupted Matt's thought and Orton focused on the monitor. To his displeasure, the Hardys weren't one of the starting teams. Team Angle, Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas, and La Résistance, René Duprée and Sylvan Grenier, would be the first two to start. To Matt's surprise, Eric had snapped out of his trance and sat down beside him.

"I hope Matt and Jeff get their asses kicked."

"You and me both. I don't want to face them at Judgment Day."

"Why?", Eric asked, slightly chuckling. "Are you scared?"

Cena stifled a laugh as Matt turned his head slowly to face Eric. "You're calling _me_ scared? You're the one that's been in the corner shaking like you've seen a ghost!"

"That's beside the point. I'm not going to let this keep me down. Remember the way you annihilated Kane with that lead pipe?"

"You're not going to do something stupid like that, are you?"

"No, of course not…"

Matt frowned upon realizing that he had just called himself stupid.

"… I'm just going to give Taker all I've got", Eric said, finishing his sentence. "Besides, I've got Shawn back home in San Antonio cheering me on."

The bell ringing snatched their attention back to the monitor, where René Duprée had just been pinned by Shelton Benjamin, eliminating La Résistance from the match. Orton grimaced when the Dudleys were next to come out, knowing that the Hardys now stood a fair chance of coming out of tonight the new tag champs.

Meanwhile, Torrie and Camilla were preparing for their match against Trish Stratus and Victoria later that night.

"You know, we could become just a good a tag team as Matt and Randy", Torrie said.

"Perhaps … but there isn't exactly a woman's tag division. There's only competition for this", Camilla replied, motioning towards the WWE Women's Championship on the bench next to her.

Torrie smirked. "Then we might as well have a rivalry just like Matt and Randy. You're not the only one who wants that belt."

"Then if you want a shot, I think you need to _earn_ it."

"Bischoff then learns tonight why I should be the #1 contender for that belt", Torrie said, with a bit of aggressiveness in her voice.

Matt and Randy looked at each other and stepped over to the two women.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa … hold on here", Randy interjected. "Let's not …"

"Hold on _yourself_!", Torrie replied. "If you two can be at each other's heels every damn minute of the week, we can act the same way!"

Randy backed off a little; he had never heard or seen Torrie act so brash; she was always a kind, calm person. Matt nudged Randy on the arm.

"I think you've rubbed off on her. Come on, leave them and let's go watch the rest of the match."

Randy was only happy to oblige, and the brothers sat down to see Rob Van Dam & Tommy Dreamer now fighting against Matt & Jeff Hardy.

"Who beat the Dudleys?", an anxious Matt asked.

"RVD and Dreamer. Hunter's pawns were the last team in the match", responded Batista.

Orton sighed. "Great. Just great."

"What's up with you?", asked Cena.

"Nothing. I just want Rob and Tommy to keep the straps."

"Dude, I don't care about that. You shouldn't either."

Matt stared at his tag team partner incredulously. "You can't be serious! Don't you want to face them instead of the Hardys at Judgment Day?"

John shrugged. "No. The belts are going to be ours regardless of who we face. You know that."

Orton wanted to say something, but restrained himself. John wasn't in the ring at Backlash; he couldn't understand what Matt was feeling at the time he MKOed Jeff to give RVD and Dreamer the tag titles.

"Oh no …", squeaked Randy, seeing Matt Hardy looking under the ring. "Not this again."

Matt and John looked on helplessly as the elder Hardy leaped onto the apron with a lead pipe in his hand. The ref stopped him from climbing into the ring, giving Jeff time to knock Tommy Dreamer off the apron. After moving behind a distracted RVD, Jeff delivered a low blow to the ECW original and rolled him up just as the other Hardy dropped the lead pipe. After the three count, Orton's face was beet red, veins bulging from his neck after seeing the two men he most despised besides Triple H lift the World Tag Team Championships in the air. Eric tried to relax his best friend.

"Calm down, man! Listen. Just like I'm going to take down Taker tonight, you need to win those belts from those bastards. Do it for me and Shawn."

Orton chuckled. "It's funny how you're the one encouraging me. I should be…"

"We _both_ should be encouraging each other. I'm part of the team, right? It's what teammates do."

Like many others before him, Eric had successfully calmed the Orton temper.

"Well …", came Camilla's voice from the nearby door, "… it's our time to shine now."

Every single male in the room got up as Torrie and Camilla got ready to exit the room. Matt and Randy walked over and gave their ladies a last-second good luck kiss.

"Take care of yourselves out there", Matt told Camilla.

"You really think those bitches stand a chance against us when I made you _and_ Randy tap out?"

Both brothers shuddered, remembering that day at the house and how sore they were after submitting to her.

"You did _what?_", Torrie asked as they were walking out the door.

"You didn't know about that? I'll tell you when we get back …"

Randy shook his head as he heard Camilla's voice trail off in the distance. He turned to his brother and said, "I think we've created monsters. You know, if they really put their minds to it, I think they could beat _us_ one day."

"Don't give them any ideas. I wouldn't be able to live down something like that."

* * *

Torrie and Camilla were walking back to the Evolution locker room, fresh off their win. Torrie had RKOed Victoria and successfully obtained the three count while Camilla held off Trish Stratus. After they had their arms raised in the air, Torrie stood face-to-face with Camilla, who then held the Women's title proudly above her head. The crowd could sense another rivalry in the making as the two winners trudged up the ramp. 

"I hope Bischoff got my message", Torrie commented as they were stepping beyond the curtain.

"I hope he did too. I think I need to prove to you why I'm holding this."

Torrie giggled.

"What? What's so funny?"

"We're acting just like Matt and Randy. And Randy won the belt when they faced off for the first time. A bit of an omen, isn't it?"

Camilla stopped walking. "I'm not weak like Matt. I'm not intimidated by _anyone_."

"Anyone?"

A different voice entered the conversation, and Jeff and Matt Hardy walked around the corner. A look of horror spread over Torrie's face and Camilla stepped in between her and the Hardys.

"What the hell do you two want?", Camilla snarled, trying to stand up for herself and Torrie.

"A little catty, aren't we?", Jeff spouted out, only to receive a slap in the face from Camilla.

"Don't insult us like that _ever_ again."

Jeff snapped and pushed Camilla back, her falling over a nearby table. Torrie started shaking in fear; she may have had confidence while against Trish and Victoria, but with two men in front of her and Camilla out of the picture, it was all gone now. Matt Hardy walked up to Torrie and put a hand to her chin.

"How could a woman like you end up with a guy like Orton?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Torrie spotted a revived Camilla with a steel chair in her hands, approaching Jeff Hardy from behind. She swung and hit her target with great vengeance, sending Jeff down to the floor. Matt turned around only to be met with the same fate, steel against his skull. Throwing down the chair and grabbing the back of her neck, Camilla took Torrie's hand and dragged her quickly back on the path towards the locker room.

"Are you okay?", Torrie asked while running back to the others.

"I'm fine … I just landed on my neck funny."

"**CAMILLA!**"

Another different voice joined the conversation; this time, it was the right Matt.

Matt and Randy, on the way to the ring for their match, were now running towards Torrie and Camilla.

"What … what happened to you?", stammered Matt, clearly shaken.

"The Hardys tried to … well … I'm not really sure what they tried to do. Camilla stuck up for us and Jeff pushed her over a table", responded Torrie.

"He _**WHAT?!**_", Matt screamed. "That little …"

Matt was about to dash off to find Jeff Hardy, but Randy held him back.

"You don't need this right now, Matt! You've got to focus on the match!"

Thrashing around wildly, Matt turned around and looked at his brother. "Shouldn't you be just as angry _as I am?!_"

To tell the truth, Randy was steaming mad under his calm demeanor; he was playing the part of big brother perfectly, seeming calm when there was a crisis.

"Did they do anything to you, Torrie?", a composed Randy asked his fiancée.

"Matt Hardy said 'How could a woman like you end up with a guy like Orton?' to me."

If steam could actually come out of your ears when you were mad, Randy could be compared to a pressure cooker. The 'big brother' demeanor was just about gone as Randy's face turned crimson red, and he started to shake, much like his brother.

"Don't worry about it right now", interrupted Camilla. "You two have a score to settle. Just use that anger in the match. Besides, I've already taken care of them."

"She's right. Laid them both out with a chair. You two go do your match. Kick each other's ass and whatnot. We'll be watching."

Torrie and Camilla walked off and entered the locker room, leaving Matt and Randy to their match.

"We should still kick some sense into the Hardys. You know, get pumped up for the match.", Randy suggested.

"Nah. If Camilla got ahold of them, they're plenty in pain. You just want to delay the inevitable: me getting that belt."

"Shut up and get to the ring. Champion gets go to go out there second."

* * *

Lilian Garcia climbed into the ring to announce the beginning of the next match. 

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall and it is for the Intercontinental Championship!"

The crowd started to go wild, knowing who the competitors would be in this match. Fans had been waiting to see the two brothers face each other again for quite a while; the last encounter was WrestleMania-quality, Matt and Randy executing their best maneuvers on each other with neither the RKO nor the MKO getting the job done.

'Line in the Sand' began to play, and the fans exploded as Matt walked out onto the stage.

"Introducing the challenger, from San Antonio, Texas, weighing in at 239 pounds, Matthew Orton!"

The younger brother posed on the stage, then started pounding his chest and pointing at the fans. Matt was incredibly pumped up for this; he had been waiting nearly two months for the opportunity to reclaim the first title he had won. As he climbed into the ring and made belt motions around his waist, Lilian lifted the microphone to introduce his opponent. Matt turned around to see his brother at the top of the stage.

"Currently on the way down to the ring, from St. Louis, Missouri, weighing in at 245 pounds, he is the Intercontinental Champion …"

"_**Was**__, Lilian"_, Matt thought to himself. _"__**Was**__."_

"… Randy Orton!"

Matt paced around the ring as Randy made his slow trek down the ramp. Suddenly, the older Orton sprinted and slid into the ring, spearing down his caught-off-guard brother. The bell rang, and Randy started to knee Matt in the gut repeatedly. With a rush of adrenaline, Matt shoved Randy off him, and made his way back to his feet, clutching his stomach.

"_You cheap son of a …"_

Randy moved to spear Matt down again, but Matt wisely moved out of the way. As Randy regained his balance, Matt grabbed him from the front and threw his older brother over his head in a belly-to-belly suplex. Matt didn't let up, yanking Randy to his feet and this time, using a German suplex to slam the back of Randy's head against the mat.

Backstage, Batista was impressed with Matt's new techniques; it wasn't exactly Orton's style to use suplex after suplex. Camilla thought she was watching Kurt Angle more than Matthew Orton.

In the ring, Matt had put Randy in a headlock, trying to bring the taller man down. However, Randy pushed Matt off into the ropes. Randy clotheslined Matt down, and started circling his brother's body like a hawk, pausing to occasionally stomp on him. Knowing that he would regret this later, Randy picked up Matt by his bad shoulder and twisted the arm behind his back. Matt screamed out in pain, his eyes almost bulging from their sockets.

"What the hell are you trying to do? Pop it out of its socket again?", Matt asked in between winces.

"Just tap out so I can stop this!"

Angered, Matt slowly got up to his feet and backed himself and his brother into the turnbuckle. The impact on his shoulder was significant, but it was worth it to get out of the hold. Matt turned around and immediately started ramming his good shoulder into Randy's midsection, blowing all the air out of the older Orton. Seeing his opportunity, Matt put Randy's head under his arm and drug his brother to the middle of the ring. He signaled for the MKO, eliciting some cheers from the crowd. Taking a deep breath, Matt grabbed a hold behind his brother's knee and lifted Randy up in the air.

But Randy had been prepared for this. The two or three seconds Matt wasted signaling for the MKO allowed Randy to gather his wits and create a plan. With one motion of his body, Randy shook his knee loose and swung his whole body over Matt's left shoulder. Confused, Matt turned around and walked right into a sudden RKO. The whole arena went nuts, with half the fans groaning and half yelling their hearts out. Both Matt and Randy were flat on the mat, Randy recovering from the shoulder shots to the stomach and Matt trying to get his act together after his face being rammed into the mat.

Someone in the crowd took to the opportunity to start a chant.

"**Let's go, Randy!**"

Of course, there was retaliation.

"**Let's go, Matt!**"

"**Let's go, Randy!**"

"**Let's go, Matt!**"

"**Let's go, Randy!**"

"**Let's go, Matt!**"

The same chant could be heard backstage, with Torrie and Camilla alternating shouts. Dave, Eric, and John resisted taking sides; they didn't want to incur the wrath of either of the ladies.

Back in the ring, the referee was midway through his ten-count when Randy started to stir. Crawling over to his brother, he draped an arm over Matt's chest.

"One, two, th…"

Matt lifted a shoulder.

"_Goddammit!"_, thought Randy. Barely able to stand himself, Randy picked up his brother and whipped him to the ropes. Matt ducked a clothesline, immediately turned around, and caught Randy on the rebound with a drop toe hold. Still dizzy, Matt quickly grabbed Randy's legs and locked in the Texas Cloverleaf.

Camilla was going crazy, shouting so loud that the rest of the guys thought she would lose her voice. Torrie was still going strong with the "Let's go, Randy!" chant.

Randy couldn't stand the pain. Matt had used this same hold in their last match, but with Matt pissed off from the attack on his shoulder, the younger Orton was leaning back farther and lifting Randy's legs higher. Randy tried desperately to reach the bottom rope; his wide arm span had him only inches from freedom. Randy could feel the tips of his fingers brush up against the rope, but was horrified when Matt dragged him back to the center of the ring. Remembering the tactic he used to get out of the Cloverleaf last time, Randy tried to swing his lower body back and forth to knock Matt off balance. However, Matt had his feet positioned too far apart for that to have any effect.

"Matt's got it."

Dave's deep voice caught the attention of everyone in the room, even making Torrie and Camilla silent. A split second later, the room turned back to the monitor hearing the bell ring.

"Stop! STOP! **STOP!**", Randy screamed out as he slammed his palm against the mat.

Matt decided to keep the pressure on for a few seconds longer as payback for the attack on his shoulder. Once he felt that Randy had had enough, Matt let go and caught his breath. He had almost forgotten that the referee was holding the Intercontinental belt for him.

"Here is your winner by submission, and the **new** Intercontinental Champion, Matthew Orton!"

Looking up, Matt snatched the belt from the referee and grasped it tightly. The belt was not just a title; it was a symbol of his victory over his brother. He had been worried that Randy's record would be forever spotless against him, but that was no longer a concern. Standing on the turnbuckle with the belt high in the air, Matt felt like he was on top of the world.

Then there was a tap on his shoulder.

Matt looked around to see his brother standing tall, arms folded in front of him. Matt came down from the turnbuckle, putting the belt on his shoulder.

"I guess the shoe's on the other foot now."

"Damn straight it is. It's about time I beat you at something."

Randy smiled weakly, his eyes floating to the ground. Deciding to suck up his pride, Randy extended a hand to his brother. Matt took the hand and shook confidently. Randy took Matt in an embrace and slapped his brother on the back.

"You did good. We're equal now."

Randy lifted his brother's arm in the air, the whole arena on it's feet.

"Didn't this happen last time?", Matt asked.

"Yeah. Just goes to show how much we rock."

* * *

Backstage, Randy, John, Matt, Camilla, and Torrie were cheering on Eric and Dave as they battled Kevin Nash and the Undertaker. Although Eric said he wasn't scared, Matt saw his best friend jump when the Undertaker's gong went off. The match had gone back and forth for quite a while now; at first, Taker was completely dominating Eric and Nash wasn't letting Batista aid the DX member at all. Currently, the momentum had shifted; Dave and Eric were using their opponents' size against them now. Eric would drop kick Taker into the corner, and Dave would whip Nash into the Deadman. This repeated, with Eric and Dave switching targets every so often. 

"So … when does Randy get his rematch?", asked Torrie.

Matt laughed. "Whenever he wants. Honestly, the fact that I beat him this one time means more to me than this strap ever will."

"Then can I have the belt back?", Randy jokingly queried.

"Of course not, you dummy!" Matt punched Randy in the shoulder. "You'll still have to beat me for it."

Randy shrugged. "And we all know that …"

"… it's never going to be a one-sided match ever again", Matt said, finishing Randy's sentence. "I think we'll act like this with the Intercontinental title … but with the _World Heavyweight_ title, it's going to be completely serious."

"Got that right. None of this joking around."

Camilla laughed. "So this belt is really meaningless?"

"Almost. It's really just a symbol of who's the more dominant Orton right now."

This time, Randy punched Matt in the shoulder. However, the bell ringing caught everyone's attention.

"The Undertaker has been eliminated!", Lilian called out from ringside.

"What?!", the whole room exclaimed in unison. Looking at the replay, Eric had just pinned the Undertaker … with a _roll-up_. However, with Batista out on the floor, Nash quickly picked up Barringer and Jackknifed him down to the mat. Eric was eliminated in a matter of seconds.

"Well, at least he conquered his fear", Camilla commented, gaining the agreement of everyone in the room. They all were anxious, however, as Batista crept up behind Nash. When Nash turned around, he walked straight into a Batista Bomb.

"One, two, three!"

"Here is your winner and the new #1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship, Batista!"

Dave was ecstatic to say the least. He would finally have his chance at the big gold belt. More importantly, he would have the chance to get his hands on the one man Dave despised more than anyone.

At Judgment Day, it was quite possible that Evolution could hold every single title on RAW.

* * *

_New rivalries are made, and old ones just get more intense. With Matt and Camilla's wedding getting closer and closer, when will Torrie and Randy schedule theirs? Next week, the Undertaker will attempt to exact some revenge on Eric. Also, a big six-man tag team match rounds up the week to Judgment Day. _

_Hope you enjoyed it!_

_  
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	44. Adversity

_Judgment Day comes closer for everyone, and I don't just mean the pay-per-view. Matt and Camilla encounter something that tests the strength of their relationship, as does Randy and Torrie. Then, on the final RAW before Sunday, will Hunter and the Hardys try something to wreck Evolution's chances?_

_Hope you enjoy this one!_

* * *

Back at home, Matt sat outside in a lounge chair on a Thursday afternoon near the swimming pool, trying to soak in some rays and contemplating the next few months of his life. Dave was out looking at some new workout equipment to replace the aging stuff in the workout room. Torrie and Camilla had gone out to see a chick flick. John and Randy had been invited by Eric, who was in town after visiting Shawn, to some sort of outdoor concert. Matt was invited too, but for some reason, he didn't feel like attending. 

"_I __**still**__ can't believe I'm actually getting married. Camilla and I have been with each other for … what, less than one and a half years? I mean, I know that I'm ready. I know that Camilla's ready. I can only wonder what my folks back in San Antonio are thinking. Hell, I don't even know if they watch Monday nights or not. I'm surprised they haven't contacted me at all."_

His thoughts all over the place, Matt reached over for his cell phone on the ground and looked for the number of his old house. Sure enough, he hadn't deleted it. Taking a deep breath, Matt pressed the 'Send' button and listened for the tone. It started to ring … and ring … and ring … and the answering machine picked up. Sighing, Matt waited for the beep.

"Hey, guys. It's Matt. Um … I just wanted to talk to you guys and see how you were doing. Give me a call back, ok?"

Orton closed his cell phone and looked back up to the sky. Even though the wedding was nearly two months away, Matt couldn't help but be nervous and he really didn't know why. There wouldn't be too many people there. All of Evolution, Eric, Shawn and his family, the McMahons, Torrie's family … well, maybe there _would_ be a lot of people. Matt had never been to a wedding and really didn't know what to expect. And then the vows.

"_What the hell am I going to say? I'm not good at writing speeches."_

The sound of a loud vehicle pulling into the driveway disrupted Matt from his inner dialogue. The only person who had such a noise-maker was Batista. Sure enough, as Matt walked over to the driveway, he saw the familiar big red truck with Dave getting out of the driver's seat. There were a good amount of large boxes in the back, and Matt groaned; he knew that Dave would buy new versions of nearly everything in the workout room. Matt jogged over to the truck and started to help Dave unload the boxes.

"Jeez, Orton, did you forget to put on sunscreen?"

After putting the new treadmill down in the garage, Matt looked down at his chest and peered at his shoulders to see it all beet red.

"Dammit, I had the bottle right next to me too. I drifted off without putting it on."

Batista shook his head and chuckled. Matt was surprised to hear this; even though Dave had warmed up to the antics of the rest of Evolution, it was rare to see him smile or laugh. A good forty-five minutes later, all the boxes were in the garage. Batista hadn't broken a sweat whereas Matt was drenched in the stuff.

"Tired, huh?"

"How … can you … not be tired?", Matt replied in between breaths.

"Experience. When you've gone through as much as I have, you're definitely built to handle this sort of stuff."

"Wait a minute now, I have experience too! I was in football and weightlifting and swimming and …"

"You're only eighteen," interrupted Dave. "You've still got a long way to go."

Frustrated, Matt got up and started to walk out of the garage, but was caught by a hand on his shoulder.

"**OW**! I'm sunburned, remember?", Matt yelled out, jerking his shoulder away.

"You're not done. We've got to put all this together."

Matt looked at Dave like he was crazy. "You want this up and running _tonight?_"

"Yeah. Why not? You want to look better than your brother, don't you? Get an early start on him."

Orton smiled and shook his head; if anyone wanted Matt to do something, all they had to do was throw in some comment about becoming better than Randy at something. Eagerly, he pulled out a set of screwdrivers and helped Dave carry the boxes to the workout room. After a few hours of work and moving the old equipment to the backyard, Matt took a seat on the new weight bench and caught his breath. The whole ordeal had become fraught with pain; the effects of the sunburn were beginning to become quite a nuisance. Before Batista planned to start lifting, Matt hurried out to the front yard to pull some aloe vera from a plant outside to ease the annoyance. When he arrived outside, the car containing Camilla and Torrie pulled into the driveway.

"God … what happened to you?", Camilla said, getting out of the car and catching sight of Matt's burn.

"Wasn't thinking. I daydreamed too much while sitting out back."

"Idiot."

"I know. So kill me. How was the movie anyway?"

"I cried at the end", interjected Torrie. "It was really sad."

Matt rolled his eyes. "Have you guys heard from Randy, John, or Eric yet? It's getting kinda late and they're not home yet."

"They're at a concert; what do you expect?"

"**ORTON! Hurry up!**"

Batista's shout from inside startled Matt.

"What's his problem?"

"I took too long getting this aloe vera; Dave wants me to spot him."

Matt ran off to the workout room while Torrie headed off to the kitchen to fix a quick snack and Camilla went up to her room. While taking off her shoes, Camilla noticed one of Matt's photo albums open on the bed. Taking the large portfolio in her hands, she noticed the right page had pictures of Matthew and another girl.

"_Kimberly?"_, Camilla thought to herself, looking at the caption below the picture. _"Who the hell is this?"_ She spent the next twenty or so minutes looking at the next several pages, finding pictures of Matt with this girl. Some of them were dated, coming from 2000 to 2001.

Downstairs, Matt had finished spotting for Batista and went to work applying the aloe vera on his sunburn. Feeling a little better, Matt still walked gingerly up the stairs to his room; a cold shower would do him some good. Upon arriving in his room to grab a pair of boxers and a shirt, Matt was immediately slapped in the face.

"**OW!** What hell was that for?", Matt exclaimed, looking at Camilla strangely.

"Who is this?", Camilla asked angrily, holding up a picture. Looking at it, Matt's face sunk; he had forgot that he still had pictures of him and his ex-girlfriend in his albums. Matt had left it open while looking at pictures of his former family back in San Antonio; the pictures in question must have been on the opposite page.

"That's … that's Kimberly."

"I can read, Matthew. Who the hell is she?"

Matt groaned. It was a bad thing when Camilla called him by his full first name.

"She … Kim was …"

"Stop the bullshit and tell me who she was!" After the end of this exclamation, Camilla used both hands and shoved Matt in the wall. Orton grimaced, still feeling some of the aftereffects of the sunburn as well as the stinging pain on his back.

"She was my old girlfriend, alright? Why the hell are you concerned with this?"

Camilla started to chuckle maniacally, much to Matt's confusion.

"You had your photo album open to pictures of you and her. What were you doing when I was gone, reminiscing a little of your glory days with her? Are you doing this to get back at me for what I did at the Royal Rumble?"

Matt had his jaw on the ground and his eyes were fixated on Camilla in a look of utter bewilderment. "_What?_ Are you nuts? How can you make that accusation?! I felt like I had done a terrible thing when I had just left you there in Boston!" Matt walked around the room with his hands on his hips. "Did you even glance at the left page and the pages before it? I was looking at pictures of my family back in Texas! Kimberly is a thing of the past, nothing more!"

Camilla's visage had noticeably changed. She wasn't angry or frustrated anymore, but rather looked guilty and distressed. Matt took her in his arms, ignoring the sunburn.

"I'm … I'm sorry …", squeaked out a teary-eyed Camilla.

"I'll take all of the pictures of me and her and destroy them. Right now."

Matt turned to grab the photo album, but was restrained.

"No. You shouldn't have to destroy part of your life for me. I've already done enough of that for the both of us in Boston ..."

Orton grinned and embraced Camilla again. He could feel her tears falling off her cheeks onto his skin and pulled her head off his shoulder only to lean in for a kiss. A few moments later, Matt opened his eyes and looked up to see Randy, John, Dave, Eric, and Torrie all standing at the door. When the group realized that Matt had seen them, they started to fumble around to make it seem like they were doing something else.

Matt chuckled. "Can I help you guys?"

John fumbled around for words. "We were … uh … just … um … dude, did you forget to put on sunscreen or something?"

Camilla had turned around, giving those who hadn't seen Matt's burn a view. Matt shook his head, tired of hearing that same sentence.

Randy continued with John too embarrassed to make a coherent sentence. "We … we were going to throw the back lights on and jump in the pool. When we couldn't find you two, we came up here and … uh."

"Alright, alright. I believe you. I think. We'll be down there … wait, Dave's gonna get in too?", Matt asked hastily, realizing that Batista might actually socialize with the rest of the group.

Dave nodded. "I figured someone's gotta watch you guys and make sure you don't hurt yourselves. Besides, we could all use a nice dip in the pool."

Matt and Camilla laughed. "We'll be down there in a second."

John, Eric, and Dave all headed downstairs to get changed while Torrie and Randy walked down the hall to their room. Torrie's trip to the bathroom to change was rather quick. After coming back and seeing Randy digging around in his dresser for his swim trunks, Torrie contemplated asking Randy a question that she had been thinking about for a good while now.

"Did you ask to marry me just so you could be even with your brother?"

Randy stood up straight so fast, he nearly fell over. "What? What the heck does that mean?"

"Well … I know how you two are. You guys compete over the littlest things; push-ups, title belts, eating pizza …why wouldn't you want to…"

"Stop. Please. There's no truth to that. Do you think I would ask to marry you if I didn't want to?"

"No … but …"

"No buts." Randy put a finger over Torrie's mouth. "When I asked you, I was as sure as I was when I first recognized Matt as being my brother back in San Antonio. I wouldn't have any other person by my side." The two embraced much like Matt and Camilla did, including a kiss. When Randy looked up, he saw the his brother with Camilla looking into the room.

"Go away!", Randy exclaimed.

"We're waiting on you, you know", Camilla responded with a slight smile on her face. "Sooo … finish whatever you were doing and come on down."

Camilla left the doorway, but Matt stayed behind. Suddenly, her arm grabbed Matt's and drug him out of the doorway rather forcefully. Torrie hesitated a moment before turning back around to face Randy.

"Then you really love me?"

"Why do you keep asking me? Yes, Torrie. Remember this?" Randy grabbed the piece of heart around his neck that Torrie got him for his birthday. "You have me and I have you. You know that."

After changing into his swim trunks, Randy took Torrie's hand and walked down the stairs to the backyard.

* * *

On the car ride to the arena, Eric was on the phone talking to Shawn Michaels. It had been nearly a week since the last remaining DX member had spoken to the ailing Heartbreak Kid. 

"I think you've taken off a bit more than you can chew, Eric. Going for the Undertaker is a bit of an … no pun intended … a bit of an undertaking."

"Don't worry about me, Shawn. The guys here have got my back. Besides, this is something I have to do."

Listening in on the conversation, Matt cracked a smile, remembering his own resolve to settle his fear of Kane. Randy nudged him in the arm after a short while.

"When are you giving me another shot at that?", Randy asked, pointing at the Intercontinental belt on Matt's lap.

"You _do_ have a rematch clause to use, remember? Besides, I think we all know that I can beat you whenever I want to."

Dave rolled his eyes. _"Here we go again…"_

"Besides, I would think you would want to save it. With Judgment Day comin' up, I'm gonna be focused on the match with the Hardys."

Randy nodded and sat back in his seat. Orton wanted his younger brother to focus on it as well; he wanted to see Matt and John kick the crap out of Jeff and Matt. Randy still remembered the remark that Hardy had towards Torrie. Looking at his fiancée, Randy made his own resolve: to make Matt Hardy's life miserable.

But perhaps the most focused of the bunch was Batista. In 6 days, Dave would have his shot at the man that treated him like a peon. Batista chuckled, ridiculing Hunter's 'confidence'. He was sure the only reason that he was recruited by Triple H was that Hunter thought Dave could be easily controlled.

"_You can't control an animal."_

Once in the arena, Matt and Camilla went off to get the card for the night while Eric decided to get drinks for everyone. Fumbling around in his pocket for change, Eric looked at the selections in the vending machine in front of him. In the reflection on the lighted display in front of him, Eric could make out a large shadow coming closer to him. Instinctively, Eric ducked as a steel chair was rammed into the machine. The Undertaker had been following him since he had arrived, waiting for his chance to pounce. A little shaken, Eric turned around to run.

"Scared, kid?"

Eric stopped in mid-turn and looked at the ground.

"I know about you", commented Taker in a deep, hoarse voice. "I know how scared you are of me. Boy, if you …"

"**Don't call me **_**boy**_"

Eric spun around and stared at the Undertaker straight in the eye. There was no Batista to back him up this time, and it was only sheer willpower that was keeping him from sprinting down the hallway to the Evolution locker room. Eric may have been staring down the man he had most feared for a little less than a decade, but he was shaking like it was thirty below.

"I think little Eric's gonna cry. Gonna run back to his friends. Boy, you cost me a chance at the one thing that I wanted. And you're gonna pay. You. Me. Judgment Day."

Barringer contemplated his next move. Matt had had the courage to take on Kane one-on-one, in a steel cell of all places. Surely he wouldn't let his best friend down. Surely he wouldn't let Batista down. Surely he wouldn't let Shawn down …

"Well? Got the balls to accept, Barringer?"

The petty insults weren't doing much to Eric; he was already down in the dumps just from the mere presence of the Deadman. Deciding on a plan of action, Barringer looked up from the floor straight to Taker's eyes.

"No."

Taker looked like he was about to burst out in hysterical laughter. Not wanting to hear it, Eric turned around and started walking off. After hearing the Undertaker pick up the chair again, Eric broke out in a sprint back to the locker room. Bursting through the closed door and nearly knocking down Matt, Eric ran to the back of the room and sat in the corner, putting his head in his hands.

Everyone in the room was taken aback by Eric's actions; Randy, however, knew exactly what could prompt such an outburst. Orton went over and sat down next to Barringer.

"Taker, huh?"

Eric ever so slightly nodded his head.

"What did he say to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Eric, you shouldn't let him bully you around! You're not in high school anymore! You've got to grow a pair!"

Eric let loose with a fierce punch to Randy's upper arm.

"He said something like that, didn't he?"

Barringer nodded. Randy looked up at Matt and Dave, who shrugged in response.

"We'll go out there with you if …"

"**No!**"

Eric picked up his bag and ran out the door, heading to the nearest exit. This is exactly how he felt as a child whenever the Undertaker appeared on the television. Matt would always try to comfort him in much the same way Randy attempted to, but it would never work.

"_Why the hell was he trying to help me anyway?"_

Getting to fresh air, Eric sat his bag down and sat against the concrete wall. Putting his head in his hands again, he started to cry. The only thing to come out of tonight was a wrecked set of emotions. He knew from the outset having the Undertaker on the same brand was going to spell trouble, but he didn't know it would be _this_ severe.

"_I'm just going to quit. If he's going to act like this towards me, I don't have a purpose here anymore."_

Eric heard a ringing. His cell phone was going off in his bag. Digging around for it and finally finding the device, Barringer looked at the caller ID.

It was Shawn.

He contemplated not answering it, but Shawn would just keep on calling. Turning it off wouldn't do any good either; Shawn would leave tons of voicemail that would be a nuisance to delete.

"Hello?", Eric sobbed out.

"Barringer? What in the Lord's name is goin' on?"

"Who told you?"

"Orton called me and told me everything. Eric, you can't let yourself be treated like this!"

"_Let_ myself?", cried out Eric. "Do you really think I want this to happen to me?"

"Of course not!"

There was a long silence, permeated only by the sound of crickets and the loud music coming from inside; RAW must have started already.

"Barringer, listen to me. If I was there, I would play a little Sweet Chin Music for Taker. But I can't. I need you to do it for me."

Eric cocked his head to the side. "_For_ you?"

"Yes. Knock Taker out cold."

"Really?", Eric asked, cracking a slight smile for the first time that night. "I can do the foot stomping and everything?"

A chuckle was heard on the other end of the line. "Yeah. Tune up the band, Barringer."

"… Thanks. I really needed that."

"Use the move until I get back. No one's gonna forget how DX can wreck the whole party."

Eric laughed and thanked Shawn again before hanging up. Picking up his bag, he walked back into the building and re-entered the locker room. Evolution looked up at him, tears still evident on his face.

"What's the card for tonight?"

Camilla pulled out a piece of paper and started to read it. "Well, I've got a match with Victoria. Torrie's going up against Trish. Randy has a match with Scott Steiner."

A audible groan could be heard; evidently, Randy wasn't too happy with his opponent.

"And there's a big six-man tag at the end of the night: Dave, Matt, and John against Hunter, Jeff, and Matt."

After thinking for a bit, Eric dropped his bag and said, "I'll be right back."

A different Eric was in his office, fiddling around with the papers concerning the final RAW card at Judgment Day. Bischoff heard a knock at the door and called for the person to come in.

"Ah …", a grin spread across Bischoff's face. "… it's always good to see another Eric. What can I do for you?"

"I need you to change the main event for tonight."

Bischoff was a little stunned. "Why? It doesn't even concern you."

"I want you to add me to the match on Evolution's side."

Bischoff now was confused. "And make it a 4-on-3 match? I don't think so."

"And add Taker to Hunter's team. And I want to accept Taker's challenge for a match at Judgment Day."

"What? When did this happen?"

"A short while ago. Taker tried to club me in the back of the head with a chair, but I ducked. He challenged me then."

The General Manager of RAW could only see good things coming from this. A match like this could easily add more weight to his brand's success at the pay-per-view. It was going to take a lot to steal from the Big Show vs. Lesnar stretcher match.

"Alright, then. It's done."

Eric smiled, shook Bischoff's hand, and ran back to the locker room. Everyone was questioning him on why he was so happy, but he didn't tell them. It was to be a surprise.

Meanwhile, Matt and Randy had gone out looking for the Hardys. Ever since they had found out what had happened to Camilla and Torrie, the brothers had wanted to kick the crap out of Matt and Jeff. However, after looking everywhere, Hunter's locker room was nowhere to be found.

"They've got to be here somewhere", Matt commented, sitting down on an empty table.

"We're out of time. My match is up in a few minutes and we …** LOOK OUT!**"

Matt spun around to see Hunter with a steel chair raised high above his head. Orton dove off the table as Triple H brought the chair down, only to tumble into the Hardys. Outnumbered, Randy grabbed a nearby chair and swung wildly, grazing Jeff's arm enough to make both Hardy brothers retreat. Matt got up and picked up another nearby chair, dodging yet another chair shot from Triple H. The Hardys didn't want to get any closer just as Triple H was positioned perfectly in between Matt and Randy. All it took was a nod from Randy to set things in motion.

A deafening con-chair-to was delivered to the Game, two chairs sandwiching Hunter's head simultaneously. Triple H crumpled to the floor, and the two Ortons aimed their chairs menacingly at the Hardys, who scampered away like two scared little children. After they were out of sight, Matt and Randy dropped their chairs on the ground and took a breather.

"God, I've been waiting do something like that for a while now", Matt exclaimed.

"That _did_ feel good, didn't it?"

The two brothers embraced and Randy slapped Matt a few times on the chest, only to get a punch in the shoulder.

"Dammit! You keep forgetting about my damn sunburn!"

"Geez … sorry. That stuff still hasn't healed?"

"It's better … but, damn! It still stings!"

* * *

_After trials and tribulations, the Evolution family seems ready for Judgment Day. However, they must get through RAW. Can the Evolution women come out victorious? Will Randy triumph against Scott Steiner? And can the combined DX/Evolution team win against Hunter, the Hardys, and the Undertaker?_

_This one was longer than normal … whew._

_Hope you enjoyed it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	45. Promise

_It's time for everyone to face the music. Will someone hear some of HBK's old-fashioned Sweet Chin Music? Or is it the last dance for one our Superstars?_

_Read on. Hope you like it._

* * *

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall!" 

'Line in the Sand' started to play, and Randy Orton stepped out onto the stage, not looking as confident as he usually was. The only time he had faced Scott Steiner before was with Matt in his corner; now Randy was a little bit worried. With Randy posing on the turnbuckle, even the fans could sense the doubt in Orton's mind.

The sounds of sirens permeated the arena, making Randy jump.

"Why is he like this?", Camilla asked Matt, who was watching the monitor intently.

"I don't know. I just don't know. It's not like him to act this way."

"Go out there", spoke a deep voice behind them. Everyone in the room looked back to Batista, who was taping his wrists in anticipation for the night's main event. "He needs one of us down there with him."

"What?", queried Matt. "He's not a little kid! He can …"

"Just shut up and go out there!", Batista interrupted, raising his voice. "He's not facing one of us; there's no one he knows out there with him! Just get … your … ass … **out there!**"

Matt, slipping on his shirt and grabbing the Intercontinental belt, quickly got up and shot out the door; with Dave breathing down your neck, it was a wise idea to get up and run. Putting the belt on his waist as he ran, Matt almost ran into several people on the way to the curtain. Turning the corner, Orton stopped within inches of running into someone very tall. Looking up, he was reminded of an image he saw on his very first day in the WWE on Smackdown way back in April.

He was standing right in front of the Undertaker.

But this time, Matt didn't think Taker would slap him on the back and congratulate him. Confirming his suspicion, Taker grabbed Orton by the throat and slammed him up against the wall. Matt felt his throat constrict as the Undertaker lifted him high into the air.

"You know, Orton, I haven't forgotten what you did to my little brother. Granted, he should have taken you out that first day you showed up on Smackdown. But now, I get the chance to take a little revenge. A little piece of the Orton brothers."

Matt's eyes widened when he realized that Taker might go after Randy. Barely able to breathe, he managed to squeak out, "You … wouldn't dare …"

"Oh, I _would_, Orton. Starting with **you**."

Matt felt himself being thrown from his place high up on the wall. Spying a nearby table, Orton braced for impact as the Deadman chokeslammed him through it. Matt started to scream in pain, but a steel chair was brought down directly on his forehead, silencing Orton. Taker took one look at the fallen brother, chuckled, then turned towards the curtain.

"**Where the hell is Matt?"**, yelled an impatient Batista.

The whole room looked on as Steiner had Randy locked in the Steiner Recliner. However, everyone was stunned to hear the Undertaker's music start to play. Both Steiner and Orton looked over to see Taker slowly stroll down the ramp. Steiner suddenly let go of Randy and rolled out of the ring, escaping through the crowd. Backstage, Eric shot up and dashed off to the ring, running as fast as he could. Orton had backed himself up against the turnbuckle, his heart pounding as Taker was approaching him. He had wanted to run, but the pain from Steiner kept him from getting to his feet. Randy was helpless as Taker put him in position for the Last Ride.

However, the crowd broke out into cheers as Eric ran down the ramp. Sliding into the ring, he rammed his shoulder into the back of the Undertaker's leg, sending him down to one knee. Randy scrambled back to a turnbuckle as Eric moved over to the opposite end of the ring. Emulating his fallen friend in San Antonio, Eric started to tune up the band. The whole arena was stomping with him, creating a tsunami of sound that overwhelmed the senses. Taker, wondering what the hell was going on, finally got to his feet and turned around, only to be struck in the head by Eric's foot. Taker plummeted to the canvas and Eric stood over his body, making the 'X' symbol over his head.

Pleased with what he did, Eric then turned his attention to Randy, who was still folded up in the opposite corner of the ring.

"Come on, we have to go find Matt."

"What?", croaked out Randy. "Why? Where is he?"

"Dave sent him out here to support you, but he never made it out."

The concept of his brother possibly in danger gave the older Orton a second wind. Ignoring the pain in his neck and lower back, Randy managed to pull himself up and, with Eric's help, rolled out of the ring and walked up the ramp. The fans gave Randy and Eric a standing ovation as the pair walked beyond the curtain. Retracing Matt's possible route to ringside, they started running as they saw someone laying in a mess of broken wood. Matt had been knocked out, and was bleeding from the forehead.

"Matt! Matt, can you hear me?!", Randy screamed. "Wake up, man! Come on!"

But there was no response. Running on pure adrenaline, Randy picked up his brother and slung him over his shoulder. Eric and Randy made their way back to the Evolution locker room, with the rest of the crew breaking out in chaos as they saw Matt's condition.

"**What the hell happened?**", yelled out John, incredibly worried about his tag team partner.

"We found him like this. Someone had put him through a table and he's bleeding", Randy responded.

"Don't just sit there! Take him to the trainer!", yelled Camilla, nearly in tears.

Randy tried to lift him again, but was too weak. Eric took over the responsibility instead, putting Matt's weight on his shoulder and leaving the room. Randy was furious.

"I wasn't there for him."

Batista walked over and tried to comfort Randy … well … sort of.

"Orton," Dave said, pushing Randy back against a locker door, "no one could have prevented this from happening. It wasn't your fault!"

"But … but I could have …"

"**Goddammit, Randy!**", Batista yelled as he slammed a fist into the locker door, making a huge dent. The sound made Randy jump, and for the first time that night, he looked Dave in the eyes.

"Orton, just … just stop kicking yourself over this! Your brother's gonna be okay."

"… what … what about the match tonight?"

"Who gives a crap! You two took out Triple H today! We'll _still _be kicking their asses!"

A weak voice came from the doorway. "I'll … still be there." Randy and Dave looked towards the doorway to see Matt, with a large bandage wrapped around his forehead. "They told me not to compete, but I … I didn't listen. I don't think Hunter's going to listen either."

Randy ran over and hugged his little brother with a tear in his eye.

"I was so worried about you, Matt", Randy said while sobbing. Matt pushed him away and looked at his brother with a odd look on his face.

"Why the hell are you crying?"

"We've been through this before, you know damn well why I'm crying!"

Matt shook his head. _"Randy's four years older than me; there's no reason why he should be so goddamn emotional!"_ Trying to resolve this, Matt took Randy out of the locker room into a nearby empty hallway.

"Randy, you've got to stop …"

"**I can't stop!** I … I just can't."

It came to Matt all at once. Randy had the same greatest fear as he did: separation from his family. It was obvious where Randy got it from too. Matt only wondered why it was his own greatest fear as well; Matt hadn't know Randy even existed until a little over a year ago. Randy still sobbing, Matt walked up to his brother and embraced him, patting his back.

"I know you can't. I shouldn't be harsh on you. I know why you're like this. And, to be honest, I am too."

Randy stopped sobbing for a second and looked at Matt. "You do?"

"Yeah. Ever since I could remember. I know why now too. Even though I never knew you existed, I always felt like my family was going to be ripped apart from me. I … I guess the bond we share now was created a long time ago. Eighteen years ago, to be exact."

Their moment was interrupted when Matt and Randy turned around to see Torrie walking towards them, seemingly on her way back from the ring.

"Are you boys done cuddling yet?"

The brothers looked at each other, then immediately separated, brushing themselves off. Torrie giggled and brought Matt and Randy back into the locker room.

"Did you already go …"

"Yep", Torrie answered. "Already beat Trish, babe … with _your_ RKO."

Randy could only smile and kiss his fiancée. "Did you do it right? Flung your whole body forward?"

"I did it perfect. I guarantee you that. You still do it better though."

The older Orton seemed to blush and Matt punched him in the shoulder. Randy retaliated with a swing of his own, but missed. This resulted in Randy chasing Matt around the room, trying to either catch him in a sleeper hold or slug him good on the arm or across the back. Matt whizzed by Batista, who was just coming out of the restroom. Seeing Randy chasing after Matt, Dave decided to play along. Just as Randy approached where Dave was standing, he put his foot out.

Randy tried to stop himself, but it was too late. He tripped over Batista's foot, sending him flying into where all their bags were being kept. Dave started to laugh uncontrollably, sitting down on a bench due to his stomach aching from the laughter. John, Eric, and Camilla joined in as Randy got up and dusted himself off. Torrie was giggling and Matt was on the floor rolling in laughter. As Randy surveyed the room, he started laughing as well.

"_What was I worried about earlier? This group … this whole room __**is**__ my family."_

* * *

Camilla was waiting for Victoria to get up. She was just seconds away from finishing her match. Once her opponent was on her feet, she tripped Victoria up and locked in the Sharpshooter. It didn't take a second for Victoria to tap out. 

"Here is your winner, the WWE Women's Champion, Camilla!"

Matt was at ringside, applauding his future wife. He climbed into the ring gingerly, still ailing from the attack on the Undertaker, and gave Camilla a kiss in front of the whole arena. The fans were whistling, cheering on the soon-to-be-wed couple. They both left the ring, belts in hand. Upon returning to the locker room, Dave, Eric, and John were waiting.

"We're up already?", Matt asked.

"Next match is us, bro. Ready to smash some heads?", Cena responded.

"No doubt, John. No doubt." Matt then turned to Batista. "Maybe some 'Natural Selection' tonight?", he asked, reminding Dave of the combination Batista Bomb-Somersault Leg Drop that they used when they were a tag team.

"Definitely. I wouldn't mind messing Hunter up some more before the match on Sunday."

Camilla kissed Matt one more time for good luck, and Randy gave Matt a quick hug.

"Kick ass out there."

"You know I will."

Lilian Garcia had climbed into the ring to announce the main event, the fans cheering loudly.

"The following eight-man tag team match is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, from Cameron, North Carolina, they are the World Tag Team Champions, Jeff and Matt Hardy!"

As their theme music blared on the speakers, the Hardys were welcome by a round of boos. Looking around, Jeff could see some signs with his name on it and a big green 'X' spray painted over it; he had anticipated a backlash from the fans, but not something of this magnitude. The days of the fan-favorite Hardy Boyz were over.

Soon enough, a drum beat started, followed by that infamous gong. The Undertaker rode down to the ring on his signature motorcycle. Upon getting into the ring, he chased the Hardys out, clearly unhappy about being stuck in this match.

"**It's time to play the game …**"

The World Heavyweight Champion now stepped … well … stumbled onto the stage. Hunter was still woozy from the earlier con-chair-to from the Ortons. Triple H was confused at seeing the Undertaker in the ring; he didn't remember Taker being put in the match. When he approached the ring, Hunter snarled at the Hardys, still bitter at them for running away from the attack from Matt and Randy.

"**Are you ready?**"

DX's music began to play, and Eric stepped out onto the stage, pumped up more than ever before. As the Undertaker stood in the ring, Eric remained at the top of the ramp, feet planted firmly on the steel. Matt, John, and Dave were watching on the monitor right outside the curtain as Barringer pointed straight at Taker, then did the unimaginable, at least in Matt's mind: Eric rolled his eyes in the back of his head and he slowly moved his thumb across his neck, mimicking one of Taker's signature taunts. This set the Deadman ablaze, furiously going around the ring, slamming the turnbuckles with his fists.

'Line in the Sand' then started to play, and Batista, Orton, and Cena stepped out onto the stage. Once they all slammed fists with Eric, the foursome sprinted down the ramp, slid into the ring, and immediately went to work on their opponents, turning the tag match into an all-out brawl. Naturally, Batista went after Triple H, Eric took on the Undertaker, Matt started pounding on Jeff, and Cena assaulted the remaining Hardy. It took a team of six referees to establish any sort of order in the match, shoving each team back to their respective corners.

Eric started off, as did the Game. After grappling in the middle of the ring, Hunter sent Eric to the ropes. Eric dodged one of Hunter's high knees and readied the Sweet Chin Music, only to have his foot caught in mid-air. Making Eric hop on one foot, Triple H went over to his corner and tagged in the Undertaker. Hunter kept holding Eric's foot despite the count of the referee. Taker slowly made his way in, and wrapped his hand around Eric's neck. The Deadman lifted Barringer up for a chokeslam, but Eric managed to wriggle out of it and land behind Taker. Barringer tried Sweet Chin Music again, but Taker dodged it. Reacting, Eric did a somersault over to his corner and tagged in Matt.

Eager to get his revenge for the attack earlier, Matt immediately charged at the Deadman, landing a spear and knocking Taker down. Having an idea, Matt, with two impressive roundhouse kicks, knocked both the Hardys and Triple H off the apron. Matt tagged in Cena, and two open palms were raised in the air. After a rebound off the ropes and a little jig, Matt and John delivered a double Five-Knuckle Shuffle to Taker. Triple H, however, had slid back into the ring and attacked Cena from behind. Matt tried to help his tag team partner, but the ref restrained him from doing so.

Taker had sat up and tagged Matt Hardy in. As Hunter returned back to the apron, Hardy had Cena sitting down in a corner. Matt was ramming his foot in John's midsection over and over again, making the rest of Cena's team wince. Batista started a "Cena! Cena!" chant, which the crowd easily picked up. John tried to get a rally going and managed to get to his feet, but Matt now was ramming his shoulder into Cena. Hardy tagged in his brother and set himself up as a springboard. Jeff went to the opposite corner and executed a Whisper in the Wind.

However, Cena had moved out of the way and Hardy hit the back of the turnbuckle hard. John managed to crawl to his corner and tagged in the Animal. Charging at Matt Hardy, Dave clotheslined him over the top rope and focused on the younger Jeff Hardy. Looking up at his own corner, Dave saw Eric pointing behind him. Batista spun around only to catch a kick to the stomach and Hunter put Batista in the Pedigree position. Eric, moving extremely quickly, managed to land Sweet Chin Music to Hunter's jaw before Batista's face was rammed into the ground. Eric moved back to his corner and Batista resumed eyeing the younger Hardy.

Jeff was just now stumbling to his feet. Batista caught Hardy and lifted him up for a Batista Bomb, but Jeff had the wherewithal to squirm out of it. Jeff tagged in Taker now, who rushed in and stared down the Animal. Not flinching, Batista started exchanging punches with the Deadman. Taker whipped Dave to the ropes, but Dave shot off in another direction, tagging in Eric. Immediately, Barringer tried Sweet Chin Music once again, but Taker dodged it one more time; in this instance, Taker grabbed Eric and was about to send him on the Last Ride. As Barringer was lifted up in the air, he once again dodged Taker's bullet. This time, however, he struck gold with Sweet Chin Music.

Eric immediately went for the cover, but the rest of Taker's team ran in to interfere. Evolution responded, with Dave sending Hunter over the top rope, John locking in the STFU on Matt Hardy, and Matt hitting the MKO on Jeff Hardy.

"1, 2, 3!"

"Here are your winners, Batista, Matthew Orton, John Cena, and Eric Barringer!"

Matt grabbed his Intercontinental belt from ringside and held it high in the air. Eric and Batista climbed onto the turnbuckle and raised their arms in victory while Cena made his 'Word Life' hand signals. Barringer looked back down to the mat, seeing an unconscious Undertaker.

"_Tonight, Taker, you didn't get half of what I can do to you. On Sunday night, after I'm done with you, you really will be the __**Dead**__man."_

* * *

Randy sat in the dining room eating a turkey sandwich. Matt sat across from him eating a tuna salad sandwich. 

"How does it feel to not have a match on Sunday?", Matt asked.

"I'll be nice and rested to come after you and that belt Monday night."

Matt started to chuckle, tearing the crust off the rest of his sandwich. "You know, we're going to go back and forth over this damn belt week after week."

"And?"

"Well, I mean … don't you want to, you know, go after different things? Pursue a different avenue or something?"

"What the hell is there to pursue? Batista's going after the World Heavyweight title, you and John are going after the tag titles …"

"Why don't you take my place?"

Randy looked at his brother like he was an idiot. "I can't … I can't just _replace_ you!"

"Why not? It'll give you a belt when you win on Sunday."

"You just don't want to face me again!"

Shaking his head, Matt responded. "No. Listen. We've beaten each other for the belt. I know you can beat me. You know I can beat you. We're even. Don't you want to watch me defend the family honor? When I was champion, I only defended it against you! How can I prove that we Ortons are the most dominant family in the business?"

"When _I_ was champion, I defended _my_ title against you, Cena, and Barringer!"

"But … but that doesn't really count! John and Eric are part of the family! We haven't gone up against anyone else!"

"So wait a minute … if you win this Sunday, you'll have both belts. And probably will …"

"But you'll have a belt if you just take my place!"

"I'm **not** going to take your place! You've worked too hard for this title shot! Besides, it's not like Bischoff would allow this!"

Matthew searched for a response, but couldn't find one. Randy was right. Bischoff wouldn't allow such a change the week before without something drastic happening. But that wasn't going to stop him from convincing his brother.

"Matt, these titles …"

"I just don't like seeing you without one."

"You think it's because of that? I'm worthless because I don't have a belt around my waist?!"

"Worthless? When the hell did I say anything about you being worthless? All I'm saying is that it would be better for us if each member of Evolution had a belt!"

"And if you have two, all the better! What the hell is the problem?"

"**You're better than me, Randy! And if I have two belts, I'll look better than you! It shouldn't be that way!**"

The older Orton was stunned and speechless.

"I … I just can't stand it. Randy, I look up to you, and I'll always look up to you. I mean … I'm almost half a foot shorter than you."

Randy chuckled. "Bro, you shouldn't worry about how I look in relation to you or how you look in relation to me. When we had our matches for that Intercontinental strap, the audience gave us a standing ovation both times. Hell, on the second one, even J.R. stood up and applauded us. That takes a hell of a match to make him do that!"

"So … are we ever gonna run for the tag titles?"

"Matt, I'm not a tag team kind of wrestler. It's just not my thing."

"But when we were up against Steiner that night…"

"That was a handicap match."

"Okay … well, there was that match against Jeff and Eric! Don't you remember that?"

"We barely won that. You were the one who pulled that win off. See, you have the sense of mind to keep up with a tag team match! I don't! I'm a singles competitor. And as long as I'm in this group, all I'm going to chase is that Intercontinental title you have. To me, it isn't about family honor. It's about joshin' around with my kid brother! Matt, I missed you for sixteen years! I'm still really just getting to know you! This isn't about if I'm better than you or if you're better than me. Hell, since you're a singles _and_ a tag team wrestler! Just by that alone, it could be said that you're bet…"

"Don't. Just stop. Don't say that. I don't care what you think; it's still awkward for me to even consider that being true."

"Just because I'm your big brother doesn't mean that I'm always going be bigger than you."

"To me it does. Listen, can we just drop it for now? If you don't want to take my place on Sunday, fine. I can deal with that. Just promise me one thing."

"Alright. Anything."

"One day, I don't care when or where … we go for the World Tag Team Championship."

Randy smirked and his eyes fell to the table. However, after taking a deep breath, the older Orton nodded.

"Alright, then. I promise. One day, we'll be World Tag Team Champions."

* * *

_Judgment Day is upon us! Eric takes on the Undertaker, Matt and John take on Matt and Jeff, and Batista takes on Triple H. Can Evolution manage to take all the gold on RAW?_

_Looks like you'll have to come back and find out. Hope you enjoyed this one._

_SuspiciousInitials_


	46. Ascension

_Judge not, lest ye be judged. What verdict will be served to the various members of Evolution?_

_Here we go._

* * *

It was 2:00 AM Sunday morning, and Randy was staring at the ceiling in his hotel room. In the bed next to him, Torrie had fallen asleep after endlessly trying to lead her fiancée to the same result. One bed over, Matt and Camilla had been sleeping like babies since 10:30 PM. However, the elder Orton couldn't really pinpoint the reason for his temporary insomnia. 

"_I … I just don't feel right. But why does this seem so familiar?"_

Sitting up, Randy got out of bed and sat in a chair next to the open window. He looked out on the Charlotte skyline, almost overwhelmed by the amount of lights from the buildings and the moving cars. Randy took a deep breath and tried to calm himself; this was certainly just an isolated incident. Besides, Randy didn't even have a match at Judgment Day. Why should he be so worried?

"_Worried …"_, Orton repeated to himself in his mind. _"…I'm worried about Matt."_

Randy chuckled quietly. He never thought a pair of brothers could have such a deep, emotional connection when they didn't know each other for sixteen years. The explanation Randy gave Matt for not wanting to tag together was a little far from the truth. It wasn't that Randy didn't have the tag team prowess that Matt did; it was because Randy would be too concerned about Matt to worry about winning the match. But Randy would keep true to the promise he made to his brother.

"_It won't be any time in the near future. Maybe when Matt gets a little bit older. Wait a minute … what the hell am I saying? Matt can take care of himself out there. He's certainly done that in the past."_ Randy looked over to his now snoring brother and smiled. _"He's the Intercontinental Champion and he'll be one of the World Tag Team Champions later on today. Only a few other people in the WWE have ever held two belts at the same time. I couldn't be more proud of him. Heh. I wonder how many times I'll say that. But …"_

Getting up, Randy decided that he just needed to let some stress out to fall asleep. Pulling on a pair of workout shorts and grabbing a spare towel from the bathroom, Orton left the hotel room to go down to the fitness center. While at the elevator, Randy grimaced, realizing he forgot his MP3 player. Returning to the room and opening the door, Orton jumped when he saw his brother in the doorway holding it.

"I thought you might need this. Can't sleep, huh?"

"Dammit, Matt, you nearly gave me a heart attack!", Randy replied quietly, trying not to wake Torrie and Camilla. "Just throw that on the bed and come down with me."

Shrugging, Matt quickly threw on some shorts over his boxers and followed Randy to the elevator. Getting onboard, Randy hit the button to go to the lobby, but Matt snuck past him and hit every single numbered button on the panel.

"You idiot …", Randy said, punching Matt in the shoulder.

"What? You've never wanted to do that before?"

"It's gonna take forever to get to the workout room now, dummy!"

"So? It's not like we're gonna go back to sleep. Why are you up anyway?"

"You know why."

Matt rolled his eyes. _"Of course."_ He decided not to push the situation any further. Matt didn't want to end up with his brother crying again, no matter how much he enjoyed how stupid it made Randy look. For the next 7 floors, the elevator car stopped and the doors opened. Randy seemed to roll his eyes with each stop, contemplating just running out of the car at the last second and heading down the stairs. Matt could sense this, and was ready to dash out of the car as well. On the 13th floor, both brothers ran out of the elevator and in different directions, desperate to find the stairwell. Matt reached it first and slipped through the door quickly while Randy bumbled around looking for the marked door. Running down the stairs as fast as he could, Matt counted the floors.

"_Twelve … eleven … ten … nine …… eight … … seven …… goddamn, I'm getting tired already."_

Out of breath, Matt took a short stop and sat down on the staircase. However, his repose was interrupted when he heard a door open above him and the sound of footsteps rapidly started to come closer and closer. Determined to get to the bottom first, Matt leapt over the side of the railing, nearly losing his balance and falling down that flight of stairs. While Matt regained his balance, Randy dashed past him, gaining several floors ahead. Defeated, Matt trudged down the rest of the stairs. Upon reaching the bottom, Matt saw Randy standing at the door to enter the lobby with a big grin on his face.

"You still can't catch me in a foot race", Randy said, hard of breath and opening the door to the lobby.

"Shut up", Matt said bitterly. "Why are we going down here anyway?"

"I don't know. It'll give us something to do. You nervous too?"

"A little. I'm more worried about Eric's match. Taker's not gonna take him lightly."

"I think Eric can take care of himself. He's starting to act like you when you were going after Kane."

"He's gonna have to if he wants to beat Taker. Eric was scared of him just like I was scared of Kane. I nearly went crazy trying to beat him. Hell, I blew the guy's knee out with a sledgehammer."

"Remind me not to piss you off."

Matt chuckled as they approached the fitness room. Peering inside, the brothers smiled as they realized that it was empty. Matt opened the door and quickly hopped on an exercise bike; Randy turned on a treadmill right next to him and started a steady jog.

"So when do you plan to go after the big gold belt?", Matt blatantly asked.

Randy looked over at his brother curiously. "I'm not concerned about it right now."

"Bullshit", Matt retorted quickly. "I can see that look on your face every time you see Hunter with the belt or Batista talking about bashing Hunter's head in. Besides, I think you would want the Ortons to have all the belts."

"Batista deserves the belt more than I do right now."

"And? Before, Batista had done nothing to deserve a title shot. All you'd have to do is win the right kinda matches and you'd be in the same boat as all the rest of the potential number one contenders."

"Listen, Matt, I think I need to pound something in your head. Being the best doesn't necessarily mean having a belt. Being the best doesn't mean having _all_ the belts. Sure, it makes you look good, but all that matters is making both the fans and every single person on the roster aware that we're the **best** wrestlers in the **damn company**!"

Matt shrunk back in his seat and stopped pedaling. "Whoa … when did you get all serious?"

"I just don't want you to get in over your head. With two belts, you're gonna have to wrestle two matches a night. Hell, be glad that you're not defending your title today!"

For the first time, this reality sunk into the younger Orton. Matt stared at the ground, kicking himself for not realizing this earlier. He had always thought that Randy, Eric, and John were the only real competitors for the Intercontinental title.

"_Test … Steiner … Jericho … there's a whole bunch that could come after me."_

Randy had stopped the treadmill and was watching his brother deliberate.

"So … what do you want me to do? Throw the match?", Matt creaked out.

Randy slapped Matt on the back of the head. "Idiot. Listen. You're gonna win today, but you're already too deep in this. You're just gonna have to roll with it. As for the tag titles, I think you and John have it covered. But if something happens to the Intercontinental strap, I'll be here to get it back. You can count on that."

Matt smiled, getting that feeling of protection and trust whenever Randy shifted into 'big brother' mode. Looking down at the tattoos on his forearms, that feeling was only strengthened.

"Should we go to sleep then? We kinda accomplished what we came down here for."

Randy stole a look at the clock on the wall; it was already 5:30 AM.

"Nah. Let's go see if they put out the continental breakfast. I'm getting a little hungry."

"I hope they have those waffles that you make yourself … with some melted marshmallows on them … mmmmm …", Matt said, rubbing his stomach.

"Is that all you think about? Marshmallows?"

Before Randy could get a response, Matt was already up and running towards the food area. Randy smiled and stepped off the treadmill.

"_Sometimes I think he's still a kid"_, Randy thought to himself before chasing after his brother.

* * *

Eric had made his way down to the ring for his match against the Undertaker. As Evolution looked on from backstage, Matt clutched his Intercontinental title tightly. 

"_If Eric can't get it done, I will. I'm still bitter about Taker attacking me."_

If there was one person that he wanted to defend his family honor against, it was either the Undertaker or Triple H.

"_Stop it. You don't need to worry about this right now. You and John are going to take the tag titles tonight and it'll be all over with soon. Monday night can wait."_

Just as Matt finished his thought, the Undertaker rode his motorcycle to the ring. Looking up at the monitor, Matt could see beads of sweat forming on Eric's forehead. In the ring, Barringer was pumped up, albeit still a little nervous; this would be the first time going one-on-one against the man he feared for a good part of his life.

Backstage, Randy was on a personal mission. He still hadn't found the time to go after the man that insulted his relationship with Torrie: Matt Hardy. Orton crept around the locker room area, seeing if he could set up some sort of ambush. Walking down a hallway, Randy froze when a door opened and both Hardy brothers walked out. Looking around for a hiding place, Orton dove behind a large carton and listened in on their conversation.

"When are you going to get off your high horse and accept that we're gonna suffer from this!", Matt yelled.

Orton cocked his head to the side in curiosity. _"What the hell are they talking about?"_

"Listen, teaming up with Hunter is the best thing we can do right now. Look at where it's landed us!", Jeff responded, holding up his World Tag Team Championship belt.

"We did this on our own. Hunter had no bearing on us getting these titles. And now look where he's gotten us! We've got all of Evolution coming after us! All the fans _hate_ us now! Look, I don't know what went through me that day when we found Torrie and Camilla in the hallway."

Randy's ears perked up now.

"I regret what I said to Torrie. That wasn't me. And look at what we've been doing. We attacked Cena _and_ HBK from behind! From _behind_, Jeff! We're not like that! We're not cowards! Hunter is having this bad influence on us. It's exactly what the kid Orton was saying. Hunter just manipulates whoever he's in league with. He did it to Batista and the Orton brothers, he did it to Eric and Shawn, he did it to Kevin Nash, and now he's doing it to us! We don't need to sacrifice our reputation and our likeability just for a pair of belts!"

Part of the hate that Randy had towards Matt Hardy had evaporated. At least he had realized exactly what caused Evolution to split in the first place.

"What the hell did you just say?", came a strong voice from down the hallway. Both Hardys and Randy turned their heads to the end of the hallway to see Triple H storming towards them. Orton hid himself better to avoid detection. Jeff seemed to shrink back, but Matt faced down Hunter bravely.

"You heard me. I'm not taking your crap anymore."

Jeff reached out to try to stop his brother, but was brushed away. Hunter cracked a slight grin.

"I don't think you have a choice, Hardy. You value your brother's well-being, don't you?"

Both the older Hardy and the older Orton were inflamed with fury. Randy remembered Matt telling him how Hunter threatened bodily harm to get Matt to do something. A loud smack was heard, and Randy looked back up to see that Hardy had slapped Hunter hard across the face. Triple H retaliated by taking off the World Heavyweight belt and smacking Hardy hard with it. Matt fell to the ground in front of his brother, who was stuck in his place, too scared to do anything. Hunter slowly looked up to Jeff with a malicious smirk on his face. Jeff looked absolutely petrified, and, just for a moment, Randy saw the same scared look as once was on his own brother's face.

"_I can't believe I'm actually going to do this."_

Just as Hunter was stepping up to Jeff, Randy sprung from behind the carton and silently crept up behind the World Heavyweight Champion, readying an RKO. Jeff's eyes darted behind Hunter, which made the Game turn around. Randy leapt up, but was pushed away easily. However, this distraction gave Jeff enough time to come to his senses and grab a nearby weapon. Randy dodged a belt shot, only to watch Jeff smack Hunter in the back of the head.

"Where the hell did you come from?", asked Jeff.

Randy ignored the question and, to Jeff's surprise, helped Matt up. Expecting to see Jeff's face, the older Hardy froze at seeing Randy in front of him.

"Where the hell did you come from?", Matt asked, exactly echoing his brother's question.

"To be honest, I was looking for you. I wanted to tear you apart for what you had said to my fiancée."

Jeff stepped up to defend his brother, thinking that Randy was going to start another fight, but Matt held him back once again.

"You guys walked out from that door and I hid. I was going to ambush you somehow. But when you started talking about Hunter, I reconsidered. You now feel what we felt, both mentally … and physically", Randy commented, looking at the developing cut on Matt Hardy's forehead. Swallowing his pride, Randy extended his hand to Hardy.

It took Matt no longer than a second to shake Orton's hand.

"My brother's _still_ gonna take those titles away from you though."

"We'll see about that. Listen, I'm sorry about what I said …"

"I don't need to hear your apology. Just don't do it again."

Randy turned and left, stepping on Hunter's back as he turned around the corner. Matt and Jeff took one look at each other, smiled, and did the same, except turning towards the ring. Coming back to the locker room, Randy found everyone huddled around someone laying prone on a bench. Upon further inspection, he found Eric laying on his stomach with an ice pack on his lower back and a large gash on his forehead.

"Whoa … what happened here?"

Matt broke out of the group and pushed Randy in the chest with both hands. "Where the hell have you been?!", asked an enraged little brother. "You could have gone out and helped him!"

"Hold on here!", Randy said, responding with a shove of his own. "Tell me what the hell happened!"

"Will you two shut up?", cried out Torrie. "Taker attacked him with a chain wrapped around his fist. He's hurt really bad!"

Matt and Randy turned their attention towards Eric. Camilla was washing the wound on his forehead and now wrapping a bandage around it. Batista was the only one not focusing on Eric; he was busy pumping himself up for his title shot later on that night.

"You still haven't answered me. Where the hell did you disappear to?"

John interrupted Matt before he had another chance to shove Randy. "We don't have time, dawg. We're up next! Hurry up and get your gear on!"

Randy still couldn't believe Matt was this mad at him as his younger brother went off to change.

"What the hell is his problem?", Randy asked John.

"He's just stressed out. And since you just came in, he just picked you to take his stress out on. Just ignore him."

Randy told John a quick version of what had happened in the hallway.

"I'll tell him. Don't worry about it."

* * *

Matt and Jeff Hardy had come out to a mixed reaction; some of the fans were still bitter about their past decisions, but a large proportion had warmed up to their changed demeanor. However, the reaction to Matt and John coming out blew theirs out of the water. It seemed like the fans had been wanting Evolution's resident tag team to get the belts they rightfully deserved. 

"Matt, the Hardys aren't in league with Hunter anymore", John said as they were walking down the ramp.

"What?", Matt asked, apparently surprised. He froze in place and looked into the ring at both of his opponents.

"Randy overheard them talking and they had the same realization that you had about Triple H."

Hoisting the Intercontinental title on his shoulder, Matt stared at his opponents in the ring. Although the shock of learning what Randy went through with the Hardys was seeping in, Matt had trouble finding it in his heart to forgive them for what they had been doing.

"So what do you want to do? I know you're still mad at them for smacking you in the back with that pipe."

"They went through the same change you did when you teamed up with Hunter. I think I can give them a little leeway for mistakes."

Climbing into the ring, John walked straight up to Jeff and extended his hand. Cena encouraged his partner to do the same, but Matt was hesitant. Jeff shook John's hand, much to the delight of the crowd. Everyone in the arena seemed to egg Orton on to shake Matt Hardy's hand. Backstage, Randy whispered something to himself.

"_Do it, Matt."_

As if he heard his brother, Matt shook the other Matt's hand, and the crowd erupted into a frenzy of applause.

"Don't _ever_ pull something like that again."

"Your brother told me the same thing. I promise; I won't."

Both teams retreated to their corners, with Orton starting for Evolution and Jeff for the Hardys. As the bell rang, Jeff came charging at him, but Matt easily sidestepped Hardy's attack. Orton attempted to roll-up Hardy for the quick pin.

"1, 2, …"

But Jeff kicked out. Matt sighed, kind of wanting the match over with quickly. Hardy got up and surprised Matt with a quick kick to the side of the head. Orton stumbled back, only to receive another one, knocking him down to the ground. Matt tried to recollect himself, but was pushed to the corner by Jeff. Jeff retreated to the opposite corner and ran at Orton, but Matt had gathered his wits enough to dodge the incoming dropkick. Picking Jeff up, Orton looked as if he was going to deliver a Pedigree. However, Matt threw Jeff into the air, flipped him over, and slammed him down with a nice powerbomb.

Orton ran over and tagged in Cena, who immediately started to work on Jeff's neck. John picked up Jeff and put him in a tight headlock, bending Hardy's neck in an awkward manner. Jeff's brother started a slow clap, and to Orton's surprise, part of the audience started clapping along.

"Do something, John!"

But it was too late. Jeff had elbowed Cena in the stomach enough times to break free and ran over to tag in his brother. Matt Hardy sprinted into the ring and whipped Cena to a turnbuckle. Acting as a springboard, Matt propelled his brother in the air for a Whisper in the Wind. Jeff connected before being forced out on the apron by the referee. Hardy put Cena in the suplex position, but John blocked it. Orton was cheering his partner on and watched as Cena reversed the suplex into one of his own. However, Orton started to point wildly to the opposite corner. John turned around only to get knocked down by an incoming moonsault from the younger Hardy.

With Orton as the last one not in the ring, he climbed up to the turnbuckle and took aim at Matt Hardy. Leaping in the air with his signature leg drop, Orton connected with Hardy's neck and immediately pumped his fists to the crowd. Rolling Jeff Hardy out of the ring and picking up his partner, Orton shot his open palm in the air.

"**You can't see me!**", echoed the crowd as Matt and John rammed their fists into Hardy's forehead with a double Five-Knuckle Shuffle.

"Ready to try it?", asked Matt hurriedly.

"You know it!", responded Cena. John picked up the elder Hardy as if for the FU, except with Hardy face up instead of face down. Matt began to position himself correctly, waiting for Cena to do the same.

Backstage, Randy knew exactly what was going on.

"I wouldn't want to experience this." Camilla, Dave, Eric, and Torrie could see Randy tense up as they all watched Cena launch his reverse FU. Moving quickly and with ease, Orton grabbed Hardy's head on the way down and converted the FU into an RKO. Matt climbed and posed on the turnbuckle as Cena went for the cover.

"1, 2, 3!"

"Here are your winners and the **new** World Tag Team Champions, Matthew Orton and John Cena!"

As the referee handed Matt his newly acquired belt along with the Intercontinental belt, Orton took a long look at both.

"_I'm not going to let you down, Randy. You can count on that."_

Backstage …_"I know."_

* * *

Coming down the hallway, Cena kept jumping up and down, nearly hitting the ceiling, bursting with excitement at his win. 

"Dude! My first belt! My first championship! I can't friggin' believe this!"

Orton looked at his partner strangely, a small smile forming on his face. Although John was his senior by eight years, Matt thought that Cena could be mistaken for a twelve-year old. Matt shook his head and walked into the Evolution locker room, where he was greeted by a rousing wave of applause. Even Eric had started to cheer, sitting up on his own despite the pain in his back. Batista quickly slapped Matt on the back in congratulations and dodged one of Cena's overexcited leaps before heading towards the ring; his match was up next. While Eric, Torrie and Camilla congratulated Cena, Randy and Matt stared each other down, the younger Orton proudly displaying each of his belts on a separate shoulder.

Although each had planned to take a cheap shot on the other, the two brothers embraced.

"Proud of ya, man."

"I know … but I'm sorry for how I shoved you earlier. I was …"

"Don't worry about it. You were mad. I understand. Anyway, Eric and I were talking, and if he isn't in good shape by next week, I'm going after the Undertaker.

"What?! Randy, you can't …"

"I got this. Don't worry about me."

"Asking me to not worry about you is like asking me not to eat marshmallows ever again."

Eric suddenly threw an unopened package of marshmallows at Matt, who ravenously opened it and started to chow down on the white pieces of fluff. Randy laughed and tried to snag one for himself, but was pushed away by his brother. By the time Cena had calmed down, Matt had already torn through half the bag.

"Tried to get it off his mind for you", said Barringer, who was on his feet, slowly walking towards the brothers. "This isn't for sure, Matt. If I can sleep off this pain, Taker will be back in my sights before you know it. I'm not gonna let him walk off with a cheap win. If Taker wants to play, we've only just begun. Come time for Bad Blood, I want him …", Eric paused, taking a deep breath, "… Hell in a Cell."

The whole room had heard Eric's statement and fell silent. Four pairs of eyes were staring at the lone DX member, wondering if he was nuts. Matt, however, grinned.

"You can do it, man. If I can take out Kane in that cell, you can do the same."

Eric smiled, but the moment of pride was interrupted by Camilla's scream. Turning to the monitor, the room saw the referee knocked out in the ring and Hunter creeping up behind Batista with the sledgehammer. Looking at each other, Matt, Randy, and John took off immediately towards the ring. Dave cried out in pain and fell to the floor as he took a shot to the back from Hunter's weapon. As if on cue, the referee started to stir.

"1…"

The younger Orton burst through the curtain first.

"… 2 …"

With his heart racing at a million miles an hour, Matt jumped onto the apron.

"… thr…"

Triple H leaped up and lunged at Orton before the count was over. Wisely, Matt dropped off just before getting a fist in the side of the face. His brother and his tag team partner came to his side, with all of them taunting a pissed off Hunter. The crowd burst into wild cheers suddenly, and Matt, John, and Randy all pointed behind Triple H. Batista had sprung to his feet, his face and body shaking, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. Hunter spun around and received a kick to the stomach before being lifted into the air and slammed down with the most vicious Batista Bomb Matt had ever seen.

The whole crowd echoed the count very loudly. "1, 2, 3!"

"Here is your winner and the **new** World Heavyweight Champion, Batista!"

Torrie, Camilla, and even Eric had made their way down to the ring. In a show of unity, John and Randy lifted Batista onto their shoulders. The Animal lifted the World Heavyweight Championship high in the air as Camilla and Matthew posed on opposite turnbuckles, lifting their respective titles above their heads.

Suddenly, Matt's feeling of euphoria vanished. Time stopped for him. Something just didn't feel right; it was as if he had been in this exact same position before.

Then it hit him. _"That dream…"_ Matt remembered the dream he had where Randy had won the World Heavyweight Championship and Batista had him on his shoulders. The positions were reversed now, but Matt was still uneasy. The whole of Evolution had turned on the person with the belt, and Matt wasn't about to let that happen again. Looking down from the turnbuckle, Matt saw John and Randy lock eyes.

"_No…"_

Matt jumped down just as John and Randy put Batista back on his feet. Matt's heart began beating again as Dave embraced him and slapped him on the back. Evolution was still intact, and they had all the titles on RAW: the Women's title, the World Tag Team titles, the Intercontinental title, and the World Heavyweight title. Evolution was on top of the world; they couldn't go any higher.

But for one member of Evolution, their life will come tumbling down.

* * *

_Hunter gets steaming mad, but a surprise appearance puts a cork in Triple H's rant. Who gets the bad news? Can the other members of Evolution help this person put the pieces back together?_

_Hope you enjoyed it._

_SuspiciousInitials_


	47. Rupture

_First, we'll go back to the hotel as Evolution celebrates their total dominance of RAW. However, one person finds something that destroys part of their life._

_Who is it?_

* * *

Batista had popped open a bottle of champagne and was spraying it all around his hotel room, covering all of Evolution in the bubbly stuff. Matt and Camilla covered their open root beers, watching everyone else take some of the champagne. Although the general mood was jovial, Camilla noticed Matt being a bit reserved. She pulled him out into the hallway after another bottle was opened. 

"What's wrong with you? You don't look so well."

"Did I ever tell you of a dream I had where I turned my back on Randy?"

Camilla cocked her head to the side. "No. I don't think you have. What was it about?"

"This was back when Flair and Hunter were still in Evolution. He and Batista had the tag team titles, I had the Intercontinental title, and Randy had just defended his World Heavyweight title."

"Defended? That's not so bad."

"Keep in mind who doesn't have a belt."

"Hunter?"

"Yeah. Batista had lifted Randy on his shoulders. I don't remember what Flair was doing, but I was standing on the turnbuckle with my belt. I looked down and all I saw was Hunter giving Randy a thumbs down. I was confused, and then shocked when Batista slammed Randy down on his back. Everyone took a turn at attacking Randy while I was just standing there."

"Why didn't you try to do anything?"

"That's the thing. I did try. I did try to move, but I couldn't. My mind was giving commands, but my body wasn't listening. Batista and Hunter held Randy and were screaming at me to have a shot. I wanted to kick the living crap out of each and every one of them … but I didn't. I grabbed my belt and rammed it into Randy's face."

Camilla's mouth was wide ajar. "Why would you …"

"That's what I asked myself for a very long time. I came to the conclusion that to stop it from ever happening, I had to change the circumstances somehow. The first change was out of my hands: Flair was traded to Smackdown."

"And Cena was traded to RAW."

"Yep. At first, I was overjoyed. I thought the dream was broken. But when me and Cena rekindled our friendship, the thought that he was just Flair's replacement slipped into my mind. And then when we started getting all the titles …" Matt paused and took a deep breath. "I felt helpless. I thought the dream was going to come true."

"Then what were you worried about? Batista was the one who won the title, not Randy."

"I know … but it felt so familiar. When I was posing on the turnbuckle, I held the belt the exact same way as I did in the dream. I could have sworn that some of the signs in the crowd were the same. Even the people in the front row … all looked incredibly familiar. I looked back and I thought I saw Randy and John nod at each other. I jumped down to stop them, but thankfully they just put Dave down."

"See then! You have nothing to worry about."

A trio of rambling voices came down the hallway. Matt and Camilla turned to see three fans running down the hallway, apparently amazed to have found two members of Evolution.

"Jeez … fans. Come on inside before they …"

"Michael! Adrian! Travis!"

Camilla looked on as Matt ran down the hallway to meet his three classmates.

"Guys! How've you been?", Matt asked, shaking each of his friends' hands.

"Dude, you two were freakin' awesome tonight! Kicked the crap out of the Hardys!", exclaimed Travis.

"Yeah, and that weird FU – RKO thing you two had going", interjected Adrian. "How'd you come up with that?"

"Adrian, forget that!", interrupted Michael. "You've _got_ to take us and meet the other guys! Eric! Batista! Cena! Your freakin' brother! Dude! We were all right there in the front row! I'm surprised you didn't recognize us!"

Matt started to laugh, recognizing the same star-struck feeling he had as a fan that night on Smackdown in San Antonio. But as he started to take in what Michael said, there was now an explanation on why he felt that some of the people in the crowd were so familiar. The tension in his shoulders seemed to melt away almost instantly.

"Alright … alright. We're kinda in the middle of a party right now …"

"A **party?!**", exclaimed all three. Matt sighed, regretting the use of the word.

"Just don't get too rowdy. I mean, I'm sure the gang'll be happy to meet you guys, but I dunno."

Upon getting to the door, the trio greeted Camilla. She wasn't exactly happy to see them; when Matt was in high school, the three always used to flank him, being the mischievous troublemakers to counter Matt's do-good attitude. Michael, Travis, and Adrian all pulled out markers.

"You guys came prepared, huh?", asked Matt. He snatched a marker from Michael and started signing the back of each of their shirts. Camilla started to do the same.

"Now for the big prize", commented Travis. Matt rolled his eyes and opened the hotel room door to see Randy putting the phone down.

"Hey, I ordered pizza … uh … who are they?"

Michael, Travis, and Adrian stood transfixed at the door, eyes wide open and ready to burst out of their sockets. Cena, Batista, and Randy were a little confused, whereas Eric was smiling.

"I haven't seen you guys in _forever!_"

Eric slowly got up and made his rounds of hellos. While Eric was doing so, Matt explained to Dave, John, and Randy who his friends were.

"Friends from high school. Remember when I was screaming at people from the limo at WrestleMania? I was screaming at them. Turns out they were cheering for me even though they were wearing DX shirts at the time."

"He's wearing one of _my_ shirts", Dave commented, seeing that Adrian had the Batista version of the Evolution t-shirts on. "Cool." Batista walked over to Adrian and greeted the fan, who seemed stunned. Matt and Randy looked at each other as Batista was signing Adrian's t-shirt, pleasantly surprised that Dave was warming up to the group.

"I saw the look on your face out there. I know what you thought was going to happen."

"You remember?"

"Yeah. That's why I nodded over to Cena to put Dave down. Matt, I would never turn my back on you or any member of Evolution. And if anyone …"

"Okay, okay. I get it. I'm just happy its over with."

"Hold on, guys, hold on!", Travis screamed out. "We gotta get some pictures. All of you get in and pose or something!"

Dave, Matt, Randy, Camilla, Eric, and John all stepped into the camera's views and happily obliged. After the multi-flashes of light and a last round of autographs, Michael, Travis, and Adrian left the room just as the pizza arrived. Matt and Randy took a large pepperoni for themselves and sat down on the floor. As Randy chomped into a piece, he realized that Torrie wasn't in the room. Telling Matt he'd be right back, the elder Orton stepped out of the room to headed off to their own room, wondering if Torrie had fallen asleep. Putting his key into the lock and opening the door, Randy discovered that the room was empty.

"_Where in the heck could …"_

Randy's thought was interrupted by something he saw on the nightstand. Rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things, Randy walked over and took a closer look at two small objects. Torrie's half of the heart necklace and the engagement ring were sitting on the nightstand. Taking his own half out from under his shirt and clasping it tightly in one hand, Randy started to shake.

"_Why would she take these off? And where the __**hell**__ is she?"_

The door behind him opened. Randy spun around, hoping that it was Torrie, but sighed upon seeing Matt step inside.

"You okay? You didn't seem too cool when you left the room."

"Torrie's not here. And she took off her necklace and her ring."

"Her _ring?_", Matt asked, his head cocked to the side.

"Yep. It's right here."

Looking at the ring himself, Matt didn't want to think about why it was there.

"Well … maybe she's in the shower. That's why she took them off."

"Do you hear the shower running, idiot?"

"Ok, then maybe she went to go get something to eat and didn't want to get her fingers greasy."

"I told her we were ordering pizza, Matt. You know that. Stop trying to make excuses."

Matt's heart rate started to accelerate. "Randy, I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for this. I mean, why would she just leave her necklace and her ring here like that? She's not cheating on you!"

"How do you know that?"

The younger Orton couldn't believe what he had just heard. "What are you saying?! You can't go running to conclusions! That's the way relationships fall apart!"

"How the **hell** do you know that?"

"Don't forget, Randy, I was in a relationship before Camilla! You want to know why Kim and I broke up in the first place? I loved her and I assumed that she loved me!" Matt laughed. "I guess I was wrong. I was just a friend to her, nothing more."

Randy looked at his brother calmly. "When did you figure this out?"

"We were about to get on the Rattler at Fiesta Texas. I gave her a kiss on the cheek and she smiled. I thought she was liking it. When we got into our seats, I put my arm around her and I leaned in for another kiss, this time on her neck. She pushed me away."

Matt looked uneasy and sat down on the bed. Trying to be the big brother, Randy sat down next to him.

"She told me that she loved me, but not in a romantic type of way. She said she always saw me as a best friend and not a boyfriend. You don't know how devastated I was."

"Well, yeah, I kinda do. Don't forget what happened to me."

Matt nodded. "Yeah. Listen, we're getting ourselves riled up over something that isn't true. Torrie is probably down in the lobby or something and you're just probably overreacting. Now come on and let's get back to the room. Our pizza is probably cold by now."

As the brothers were walking out of the room, Randy commented, "There's nothing wrong with cold pizza." Getting back into Batista's room, Randy and Matt saw everyone looking out the window. Not thinking anything of it, the two ripped into their still warm pizza again. When Cena noticed that his friends were back into the room, he walked over to them.

"Dude … Randy … um … I think you oughta see this."

With pizza still in their mouths, Randy and Matt got up as the rest of the group separated to allow the brothers room. To Randy, Camilla looked incredibly exasperated by something. As soon as he and Matt reached the window, they both knew why.

Down below them, Torrie was stretched out on a poolside chair. Sitting next to her was Matt Hardy. They kissed.

Back in the room, Matt looked on as his brother started to turn red with rage. Randy balled his fists and it seemed like he was ready to go on a Batista-level berserk rampage. Camilla looked the same way. Things were going to explode. Randy threw open the window loudly, echoing on the Charlotte skyline. Naturally, the duo below looked up. Torrie looked surprised and stood straight up, acting as if the Hardy forced the kiss on her. Randy laughed once, then yanked his part of the heart necklace off his neck.

Matt tried to interrupt, sensing what was about to happen. "Randy, don't rush into …"

"I know what the hell I'm doing." Randy turned back to the window, taking off his wedding band and putting all the rings and necklaces into his hand. "Is this what you wanted?", he shouted out the window. "Was I not good enough for you? Was all the love and all the caring you showed me all this time just a façade? That moment at the water park … what were you trying to accomplish? I bared my heart and my soul to you and all you did was **stomp on it!**"

Matt couldn't stand to see his brother like this. He tried to restrain him, but Randy turned around and shoved him down to the ground. Matt shot back up, understanding of his brother's position.

"Randy, think of how I felt a day later after what happened at the Royal Rumble! I forgave Camilla! I love her now! You can do the same to Torrie!"

Randy turned around and glared at Matt with a sinister look. "Like … I … said … I know what the hell I'm doing. Unlike you, I think before I make decisions. _This_ is unforgivable."

"Wait a minute! Wait a goddamn minute! Camilla made a pass at _you_! She made a pass at my own damn _brother_! _That_ should have been unforgivable!"

Orton turned around and this time leveled his brother with a stiff punch to the right temple. Matt crumpled to the ground again, but stayed there. Turning around to the window, Randy held the trinkets in his hand over the windowsill.

"Go to hell, Torrie."

Randy opened his hand and both rings and both necklaces starting to rapidly descend to the ground. Torrie looked on as the so-called symbols of their love plunged into the deep end of the pool.

Hearing the soft 'plop', all the anger melted away from Randy. After closing the window, he helped his brother to his feet.

"Sorry I had to do that."

A little dizzy, Matt responded. "_Had_ to?"

"I couldn't let anything interrupt me. Now come help me pack Torrie's things so I can lock her out of the room."

"I still hope you know what you're doing."

"I already told you yes. Don't ask that again, or I'll cold cock you in the side of the head one more time."

Reluctantly, Matt followed his unusually calm brother out of the room. Eric, John, Dave, and Camilla hadn't said a word since the ordeal started.

"What the hell just happened?", asked Cena.

* * *

"_**It's time to play the game…**_" 

Monday night had finally made its way to Charlotte, North Carolina and Triple H had made his way to the ring. It was a little strange seeing him without the World Heavyweight title around his waist; by now the fans had gotten used to him lugging the big gold belt around with him. Grabbing a microphone from ringside, Hunter climbed into the ring, wary of the ominous steel cage above him. The arena all booed heavily to try to get him to shut up.

"Last night … last night was a travesty of epic proportions."

"**WHAT?**", the fans responded.

Triple H smiled, but continued on. "Last night, I was cheated out of my World Heavyweight title!"

"**WHAT?**"

"Those meddling kids came down here and interrupted my match!"

"**WHAT?**"

"Shut up! All of you shut the hell up!"

Boos resounded from each corner of the arena, as well as some laughter; it was incredibly humorous to see the Game get embarrassed like this.

"I'm just going to cut to the chase then."

"**WHAT?**"

Hunter was shaking by now, but he ignored it. "Batista, come out here now! I want my …"

"**Ohhh! Ohhh, Shawn!**"

Everyone in the arena leapt to their feet, including Eric and Evolution backstage, as Shawn Michaels walked onto the stage. Less than month after his injury at Backlash and HBK was up on his feet?!

"Eric, I bet you're wondering how I'm standing … but I'll tell you that later", Shawn spoke into a microphone.

"You better goddamn tell me!", responded an overexcited Barringer.

"But for now…", HBK resumed, "… I've got a little bone to pick with you, Hunter. You see, now that you don't have your little cronies running around, I can finally face you down man to man. Unless … you aren't _man_ enough."

The crowd went crazy at Hunter's reaction. A smiling Shawn Michaels continued.

"Apparently, the only way you want to settle your differences is by not settling your differences. You want to find any sort of way to weasel out of your matches. Just last night, you almost succeeded. You and that sledgehammer … no. Not anymore. You see, Hunter, I want you in a place where you can't escape. And I'm sure you've noticed what's above you."

Hunter started to shake. Cheers and applause came from the fans, realizing just what the steel cage had been set up for.

"You can't get out of this, Hunter. If you choose to not get in that cage with me, Bischoff won't let you challenge Batista … who is a very deserving champion, in my opinion …"

Backstage, Dave started to laugh. "You'll get your shot, Shawn. Don't worry about that."

"…as long as he carries the belt. You've got no choice."

HBK walked back behind the curtain, leaving a trembling Triple H in the middle of the ring. As soon as he turned the corner to the locker room, he was met in a hug by an eager Eric Barringer.

"Wha … how … why …"

"Calm down, kid. The whole thing was a set up."

"A set up? You mean the Hardys were in on this?"

"Heh … well, no. I made the doctor tell you something that was incredibly worse than what actually happened to me. It was just a bruise, nothing more. Eric … you're like a son to me."

Barringer could believe what he was hearing. The legend, the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels, saying that to him … unbelievable.

"You needed to come into your own. That little Last Man Standing match against your best friend over there wasn't enough. You needed to challenge someone that you didn't know: Taker. And you stepped up to the plate. You may have lost last night, but there's always next time."

The pair walked around and headed back to the Evolution locker room, Shawn with his arm around Eric. As they walked in, all of Evolution stood up and applauded the newly reformed DX.

"I guess this means we'll have our own locker room again, huh?"

"Nah. We're family, remember?"

Randy walked up to Shawn and shook his hand. "You're always welcome at home base, Shawn."

"As you guys are at my place. As a matter of fact, after tonight, we're all goin' back to San Antonio for a good ole' fashioned Texas barbeque!"

Batista nodded his head. Barbeque was something he just couldn't resist. Before Dave could talk recipes with Shawn, Randy was out the door. Still curious about last night, Matt got up and gave chase.

"Don't _even_ think about it", Randy said, hearing his brother come out the door behind him.

"Randy, you need to tell me … **unghhhh!**"

Matt doubled over in pain; Randy had punched him hard in the stomach.

"I told you, already. I don't need you or anyone trying to help me. Just drop it."

Getting up, Matt wouldn't let this go. "I'm … I'm just going to keep asking, Randy! I don't care how many times you …" The younger Orton dodged another punch, but got caught in the side of the face by Randy's left hand. Matt stumbled back into a nearby chair, holding his cheek.

"Goddammit, Randy! Can't you swallow your pride and just tell me why you won't give Torrie another chance?"

By then, Randy's face had turned bright red again, just like last night. Matt got up, ready for a brawl.

"Fine. First, tell me why you gave Camilla another chance. Tell me why you gave the girl who tried to take me away from you another chance."

Matt really didn't have an answer. Thinking about it desperately, he could only admit to his flaws.

"I gave Camilla another chance because I was an idiot. What you said last night was right. I wasn't thinking at all. I just didn't want to lose the person that I loved."

"Wrong. You didn't want to lose the person that you thought loved you. Lucky for you, she didn't screw up again … and now you're marrying her. The difference between you and me ... one of the _only_ differences … I can let go. Sure, I … I'm still hurt, but I can move on. The same thing happened with Jennifer. Only if she didn't …"

"Stop. I get it. Just … what are you going to do now?"

"You still have an empty spot for the best man at your wedding, right?"

"Heh … yeah … but I didn't mean that."

"If there's someone out there for me, I'll find them. I took a swing and I missed. You did too once, if I remember correctly."

Matt punched Randy in the shoulder before Camilla came running out of the locker room towards them.

"Guys … we got the card for tonight. Cena's going up against Jeff and the two Matt's are going one-on-one."

"Anything for me?", asked Randy.

"No. But I get to get my hands on Torrie and defend my belt."

Randy smiled. "I got your back, Matt. I'm coming down to the ring with you tonight."

"Just don't cost me the match. I don't want to be disqualified."

Randy smacked Matt in the back of the head. "Moron. I'm making sure he doesn't pull anything. Unless you don't want me down there."

"No, no, no. You pull your happy ass down to the ring and watch my back, like you said."

"You little…" Randy put Matt in a headlock. While Matt struggled to break free, Camilla rolled her eyes.

"Idiots. Hurry up and get your gear on, Matt. You're up after Cena, and he's already walking to the ring."

Matt elbowed Randy in the gut, causing him to let go.

"I wish you would drop the rapper gear and go back to what Mom made for you."

"What? Why? You know I don't like tights. It just … feels weird"

"Oh, come on. Wearing that crap, you don't look like an Orton anymore. You've got our good looks and you should show them off. Besides, I've seen the way Camilla looks at you at home. I bet you can't wait for your honeymoon."

Matt chuckled and blushed a little. "Yeah … I … I actually can't wait for … well … you know."

Randy laughed at his still naïve younger brother. "That's the sorta stuff I want to hear. Now go in there and suit up."

Randy watched his brother go back into the locker room.

"_They've __**got**__ to have a great relationship together. For all I know, I'll be a bachelor for life."_

* * *

_Is Randy just masking his emotions to keep his brother in the dark? Or is what the older Orton saying the truth? And what events will the RAW after Judgment Day bring?_

_Hope you liked reading this one._

_SuspiciousInitials _


	48. Renewal

_A strange reaction after his match has Matt between a rock and a hard place. And how will the outcome of the steel cage match affect the plans of Evolution and D-Generation X?_

_Hope you like it._

* * *

"I'm not coming out!" 

"Quit your whining and come out here! I want to see this!", cried out Camilla to her fiancée in the bathroom.

Matt sighed and cringed at what he saw in the mirror. He had put on the gear his mother made him for his birthday: an exact replica of what Randy wore for competition.

"_How the hell can he put on something like this? It … it … it's just …"_

"Hurry up or I'll come in there and get you!"

"_Why red, Mom? Why the hell did you make them red?"_

"Are they red?", called out his brother.

"_No … you made __**his**__ red too?! Ugh…"_

Walking out, Matt didn't want to open his eyes; seeing everyone recoil in laughter wasn't something he wanted to witness. After a short period of silence, Matt opened his eyes to see just Randy and Camilla in the room.

"Where is everyone?", Matt asked.

"Someone came in mentioning something about donuts and they all ran off. I don't know; it really didn't sound important. But … you look sexy", Camilla said, licking her lips and running her hand down Matt's chest.

"Really?", Matt said, surprised.

"Yeah. Are you trying to tease me?"

"Uh … no … I just … Randy told me … I didn't …", Matt replied, blushing. He wasn't having any success finding an answer.

"Alright, alright … stop. I'm just messing with you. Those tights _do _make you sexier though. You should wear them more often."

"I told you", commented a smug Randy, proud of boosting Matt's confidence. "You ready to take down Hardy now?"

"Guys!", commented an alarmed Camilla. "Look!" The brothers turned to the monitor to see Matt Hardy creeping up behind John, who stood preparing for an FU for a fallen Jeff Hardy.

"Looks like I get to start my match early. You ready?", Matt spoke over to his brother. Randy nodded and the pair ran out towards the ring. John had wised up to some of the fans pointing behind them and instead caught Matt Hardy in the FU. However, Jeff had risen and knocked Cena down with a dropkick and readied the Swanton Bomb. The referee had already called for the bell, disqualifying Jeff. The crowd shot up to their feet once they saw both Ortons running down the ramp. Randy took off after Matt Hardy, who tried unsuccessfully to jump the barrier. Meanwhile, Matt tripped up Jeff, sending him to the canvas.

"You okay?", Orton said to his tag team partner, climbing in the ring.

"Fool, they haven't touched me. I was about to win anyway. Where's your brother?"

John and Matt's eyes floated over to the mass of black and white shirts clamoring near the announcer's table. Randy was letting loose with rights and lefts at Hardy's face, despite the efforts to pull the older Orton away.

"Let him go, Randy!", Matt yelled. "You've got to leave something for me!"

The pulling and the yelling of the referees couldn't do what one sentence from Matt did. Randy stopped in mid-punch and backed off instantly, looking up at the ring.

"You better knock the crap out of what's left of him!", Randy yelled while surrounded by referees.

Matt nodded, gave Cena a high five, and waited for Matt Hardy to recover. John slapped Randy on the back as they chased a still stumbling Jeff Hardy up the ramp.

"_Heh … it's time to show Hardy a little Mattitude"_, Matt thought to himself.

The referee had called for the bell, but Hardy started to trudge up the ramp, clutching his back and stomach. Rolling his eyes, Orton slipped under the bottom rope, grabbed Hardy by the hair, and dragged his opponent back to the ring.

"_This'll be short. Oh well."_

With Hardy stumbling around, Matt held three fingers in the air, mocking Hardy's V1 gesture, turning it into a signal for his triple powerbomb. Hardy's back and the back of his head impacted the canvas once … twice … three times. Wanting revenge for his brother, Orton climbed up the turnbuckle. Instead of his usual leg drop, however, Orton wanted this to sting; lining himself up correctly, Matt landed a Swanton Bomb on the elder Hardy brother.

"_This isn't a match … it's a showcase for me. Ha"_, Matt thought, full of himself. _"You're going to feel the pain from every single member of Evolution."_

Orton picked Hardy up and put him in the position for the FU. Slamming him down, Matt stepped over to the ropes and shook them violently. Batista recognized this as a prelude to his Batista Bomb, and sure enough, Orton lifted Hardy well above his head before thunderously slamming the former World Tag Team champion down. Matt started to pull up Hardy for the MKO, but the referee pushed him away violently. Confused, Orton backed off as the ref inspected the fallen Matt. Looking around, the crowd looked horrified. Orton even saw his friends Michael, Adrian, and Travis seemingly reel back as he looked at them. Before he knew it, the bell rang.

"Matt Hardy is not able to continue. Therefore, the winner of this match, Matthew Orton!"

Picking up his belts from ringside, Matt started to walk up the ramp, apparently still unsure of why the audience was staring at him so strangely. Once behind the curtain, Matt found the same looks on everyone's faces, from the sound guy, the makeup people, even the remaining WWE superstars in the hallway. Walking back into the locker room, the same blank, horrified looks were on his friends and family.

"What … what's going on?"

Batista cautiously got up and walked over to Orton, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Matt … you, uh … you were a bit of an animal out there. I mean that."

Orton laughed, but no one else in the room even cracked a smile.

"What the hell is wrong with everyone?"

"Matt …", Randy started, "… you weren't yourself out there. I mean, I appreciate the beating you gave that son of a bitch out there, but it looked like you had completely snapped. For a minute there, I thought the man out in the ring wasn't my brother."

These words hit Matt like a ton of bricks. All the color drained from his face, making him weak in the knees and causing him to take a seat on a nearby bench. Camilla came over and put an arm around him.

"Randy's right. You _were_ a completely different person out there. What came over you?"

"I … I just thought … I thought Hardy deserved to get punished."

"Well, you punished him alright", Shawn chimed in from the corner of the room. "But you need to take a chill pill, Orton. Maybe the whole bottle."

"Was I really _that_ menacing out there?", asked a shaken Orton.

"Of course you were!", replied Eric. "Didn't you see the look on everyone's face? Hell, _we_ were scared stiff."

"Some of us still are", interjected Cena. "That wasn't you. What the hell were you thinking? What if that was me out there?"

"John, I wouldn't have …"

"That doesn't matter! We're not always going to be best buds!"

Everyone in the room shot Cena a skeptical look. John continued despite this.

"We're not always going to be tag team champions! Eventually, we're all going to be in the hunt for that!", John exclaimed, pointing to the belt on Batista's shoulder. "Evolution isn't going to last forever."

"Why are you talking about this? Sure … nothing lasts forever … but why even bring it up right now?"

Cena closed his eyes and shook his head. "Okay, you've got a point. Listen, all I'm trying to say is that any one of us could have been Matt Hardy out there, whether it be now or in the future. See!", Cena exclaimed, pointing to the monitor. Matt Hardy was shown being carried out of the arena on a stretcher. A concerned Jeff Hardy, who was still limping, and a crying Torrie Wilson accompanied the fallen Hardy into an ambulance. Orton could see blood covering Hardy's face and his eyes nearly fell out of sockets.

"_I _… did _that_?"

"Yeah. And if you come after me looking like that, I won't hold back."

Matt immediately dropped everything he was holding, grabbed his bag, and headed for the showers. Cena shrugged and sat back down.

"Wait a minute", cried out Camilla. "What about my match with Torrie?!"

While Camilla whined about Torrie giving her the slip, Randy got up and stood outside the door to the showers.

"You decent?"

"Yeah … I haven't done anything yet."

Randy walked in and faced his brother. "I don't need you to fight my battles for me."

Matt looked at Randy oddly. "Fight your battles _for_ you? What the hell do you mean?"

"The only reason you tore Hardy apart out there is that you felt like it was your responsibility to go after him."

Now Matt was really confused. "Speak in a language I can understand."

"You wanted to get revenge on Hardy for what he did to me … and you went a little overboard. You may have not realized it, but you created that rage because I don't have any. You felt like you had to. And it shouldn't have been that way."

"Randy, how the _hell_ can you not be mad? Seriously! If someone took Camilla away from me, I would kick their asses! What happened to your 'Orton temper', huh? Did it melt away all of a sudden? Or do you just need to grow a pair?"

Bad decision. Randy grabbed his brother by the neck and slammed him up against the tile wall.

"Don't … you … _dare_ … say something like that again. If you want temper, I'll give you freaking **temper**!"

Randy lifted his knee into Matt's stomach, then slammed the back of Matt's head into the tile. The younger Orton collapsed to the ground, holding the back of his head. Randy shook with anger as Matt slowly got back to his feet.

"You know … at least you've still got it. Tell you what. If Bischoff doesn't have anything planned for me and John next week, I'll give you your rematch."

"That isn't important to me anymore. You have a good long title reign. Like you said earlier, I'm gonna start down a different road."

"You're not going after Batista, are you?"

"No … at least not right away. I'm gonna get back to some unfinished business."

"Heh. You're starting to sound like me. Who are you going after?"

"Who else? Hunter. He still needs to get what he's been deserving for a long time now. You do your own thing. As for tonight, Hunter isn't winning that cage match."

Matt smiled, knowing that his brother had something new to focus on. "Good. Now get the hell out of here so I can clean up."

Randy stepped out of the bathroom to see Hunter and Shawn in the ring surrounded by the steel cage. HBK had been knocked down and HHH was slowly climbing up the side of the cage. With a smirk on his face, Randy ran out of the locker room straight towards the ring. Just as Hunter was putting a leg over the top of the cage, Randy sprinted down the ramp and literally threw himself into the side of the cage. A very loud, shocked moan emanated from each member of Evolution, causing Matt to stick his head out of the showers to see what the matter was.

"Holy crap…", Matt said to himself. Quickly stopping the water, drying himself off, and throwing on some boxers, Orton joined his teammates watching the monitor.

Backing up, Randy let loose with another complete body shot at the cage, making Triple H bobble at the top. By this time, Shawn had gotten back up and was tuning up the band.

"_What the hell is he thinking?"_, thought Randy as he shot himself into the side of the cage for a third time. Hunter finally got knocked off his balance and fell back in the ring.

What the whole arena didn't expect was Shawn's next move. As Hunter fell backwards into the ring, Shawn let loose with Sweet Chin Music, connecting with the back of Hunter's head as he fell. For a couple of seconds, the whole arena was in complete frenzy. A "Holy shit!" chant had started, and many had their jaws to the ground in bewilderment. HBK stood over the not-moving HHH and shook his head.

"That was for everything you've done. Everything you've done to me and Eric. Everything you did to Camilla, Dave, John, Randy, and especially Matthew."

Outside the ring, Randy stood transfixed at Hunter's lifeless body with a look of excited pleasure. It was only a matter of time before Shawn climbed over the top of the cage and down to the ground, making him the winner. Randy high-fived HBK and walked up the ramp with him as EMTs approached the ring.

"_Well … that's Matt Hardy and Triple H knocked off the roster. Maybe we'll have a little bit of peace now"_, Randy thought.

* * *

"How many ribs do you want, Matt?", Camilla yelled to her fiancée as she walked up to the grill. Evolution and DX had traveled to San Antonio to Shawn Michaels' home for a celebratory barbeque. Dave and Shawn had been cooking the whole time wearing 'Kiss the Cook' aprons while the rest of the gang partied in Shawn's rather large pool. 

"This thing is better than ours", Matt said over to his brother. "Maybe we should get a new one."

"Hah", Randy retorted. "Tell that to Pop. He won't have any of it. He's never spent a lot of money."

"Oh, come on! We could afford it! It's not like we're poor!"

"Just shut up and we'll ask him when we get back."

"**Matt!** How many damn ribs do you want!?", yelled out an annoyed Camilla.

Orton looked over to his future wife and apologetically said, "Oh … um … three!"

"Wimp", Randy muttered. "I bet I could eat double that."

"You're on."

But before Matt could climb out of the pool, Randy dunked him under. The older Orton rushed up to the grill and snatched six ribs before Matt followed behind him.

"Hey, come on, leave some for the rest of us!", called out Eric, who was sitting poolside catching a tan.

"Don't worry, Barringer", Dave replied. "We've got plenty more cookin'."

While the brothers tore into their food, Camilla stayed behind to help Dave and Shawn with the barbeque.

"What Cena said yesterday got me thinking", Camilla stated. "What will happen that breaks us apart? I mean … sure, we're a big, happy family now … but … but …"

"Let me tell you something, sweetheart", began HBK. "I know where you're coming from. When Hunter and I first formed D-Generation X way back in the day, I thought it would last forever. I treated the man like he was my own brother. And … well … we all know how that ended up. At SummerSlam last year, I felt like I was destroying a part of me … but I had to. I had to get rid of that corrupted little piece of me. Listen, I don't want to spoil today's fun, but what Cena said yesterday is completely true. Nothing is going to last forever. But enjoy it while you can. Now … want some of this brisket? It's done."

Camilla chuckled and nodded, collecting some of the food on her plate. As she sat down next to the pool, she couldn't help but think.

"_He didn't really answer my question. I mean … Matt and I are going to get married. We were nearly separated when I screwed up. But we strove through that. We're __**literally**__ going to be family soon. Nothing can separate that, right? Right? Matt and Randy are bona fide brothers. Not the faux-brothers that Shawn and Hunter were. Eric and Matt have been through hell and high water and they __**still**__ are best friends. Dave's like a father figure to Matt. Cena's just like Eric, although him and Matt haven't had their little quarrel yet."_

Camilla's thoughts were interrupted by the ruckus going on in front of her. Looking up, she saw Matt, Randy, John, and Eric horsing around, trying to push each other back in the pool. Apparently the ribs eating contest between the two brothers had been postponed. With the latest batch of ribs ready on the table, Shawn and Dave decided to get in on the fun. While the foursome was distracted with each other, the two older men shoved them all in the pool at one time.

When the boys resurfaced, Dave bellowed out, "Quit horsin' around. All the food is ready."

Reluctantly, everyone went over to the buffet table and got what they desired. Randy and Matt grabbed their plates of ribs and started to munch down at the picnic table Shawn had set up. Although everyone was having good food, it was a bit quiet. Camilla decided to break the silence.

"Do we know the status of Hunter?"

"Last I heard", responded Shawn, "he's got a severe concussion. He'll be out for quite a while. As for Hardy, he's got something wrong with his back."

"How long are we talking about? A month?", asked Randy.

"If what I heard is correct, we won't see either of them 'till Survivor Series."

"Nice!", cried out the brothers, who then high-fived each other.

"Hold on, guys", interrupted Batista. "Now, as much as I like hearing the news that Hunter is out of commission, I don't want you guys just taking out your opponents. That's not what we're about, and I think Shawn agrees with me on that."

"He's right. Although if you just want to screw with them a little, feel free to do that", Shawn said with a smirk on his face.

But Camilla still had a question. "So what are we going to do now? I mean … we've got all the belts. Hardy and Hunter are out. What else is there to do?"

Batista shrugged, but Shawn had a curious look on his face. "Well … I know how much we've been working together, you know, DX and Evolution all buddy-buddy. But …"

"Shawn, I've been anticipating this, and I'll give you your shot. You just gotta get past Bischoff. I mean, there _are_ some other contenders on the roster. Nash and Steiner come to my mind immediately. Just go out and prove yourself to Bischoff."

"You've got my word, Dave." Shawn and Dave shook hands, and Matt had a feeling that the main event for Bad Blood was sitting right in front of him.

"As for me", Eric started, "I'm going to be hitting up some unfinished business."

"Where have I heard _that_ before?", Matt muttered shortly before getting a whack on the back of his head from Randy.

"I'm gonna challenge Taker to a Hell in a Cell match."

Everyone took a deep breath. Matt's match with Kane in that steel prison was hard enough to watch. The rivalry between Taker and Eric was still in its infancy, but Eric was already determined to make it a memorable one.

"What about you two?", Eric asked, pointing to John and Matt. "Who do you think'll come after you?"

"I don't know", answered Matt. "There's a lot of teams still out there. La Resistance, Three Minute Warning, Team Angle, RVD and Tommy Dreamer ... who knows?"

"But we'll take 'em down. No one's coming near our belts", responded Cena in defense, slapping Matt on the back.

"And you, Randy?", Eric asked. "Who are _you_ going after?"

"Well …", Randy hesitated. "… I _really_ want to go after Matt. But … I think I'll let him hold onto the Intercontinental title a little while. For now, I've got some …" Randy laughed, realizing what he was about to say. "… _unfinished business_ with Steiner. He's already attacked Matt, and made a fool out of me last week. He's mine."

Camilla decided to add her plans. "If Torrie ever decides to show her face, I'll bash it in. But I'll continue mowing down whoever Bischoff sends at me, even though I've gone through the whole women's roster."

"You know, Orton, you've got a feisty one for a fiancée", HBK commented.

Matt laughed. "That's part of the reason I asked her to marry me." Orton put his arm around Camilla and the two exchanged a short kiss. "You know you're invited to the wedding. Right, Shawn?"

"Well, I thought I might be, but now it's for sure. When is it?"

"Three weeks after Bad Blood. July 6th", replied Camilla.

Matt and Camilla continued to discuss details of the wedding with Shawn while everyone listened in. Everyone except Randy, that is.

"… _god, I still wish I had Torrie. Why do I find someone that I think is the one, only to have them betray me in the end? Am I just an ass? Do I just not satisfy who I'm with? I … I don't know why. I just don't know why."_

Randy's thoughts were snapped in two once he felt himself being lifted up from the picnic table. To his surprise, Matt had lifted Randy on his shoulder. Despite efforts to break free, the younger Orton tossed his older brother into the pool. After a hearty laugh, Matt turned around, only to be lifted into the FU position by Cena. John tossed his tag team partner into the drink, turned around, and saw the Animal in front of him.

"Your turn."

Batista put Cena in position for the Batista Bomb and the rapper got slammed back first into the water. Cringing and laughing at the same time, Eric, Shawn, and Camilla continued their meal. With plans set forth for next week and a jovial atmosphere, both Evolution and DX seemed ready to take on anything.

* * *

_But __**are**__ they ready? What will next week bring? What new challenges and obstacles will arise now that Matt Hardy and Triple H are out of the picture?_

_We'll see. Hope you liked this one._

_SuspiciousInitials_


	49. Inconvenience

_Wow. 48 chapters later and I'm over 5000 hits. I never really anticipated how much of a success this would be, and I'm not anywhere close to stopping. Thanks to everyone for their reviews and their support! _

_First, we'll head back to St. Louis and join the family back at the Orton household, where Randy takes on a new attitude. Then, at RAW in Atlanta, Georgia, new problems arise when a challenge is issued._

* * *

Waking up early Thursday morning, Matt quietly slid out of bed as to not wake Camilla, threw on some clothes, and headed downstairs for some quick breakfast. To his surprise, Randy was already sitting at the dinner table munching on some cereal. 

"You're up early", Matt commented. "You always sleep in. What's the occasion?"

"Thought I might go running with you", Randy replied between munches of corn flakes.

"Running? Why don't we just use the treadmills? Batista might get mad that we're not using …"

"Forget Dave", Randy interjected. "I need to talk to you in private. There's almost no privacy in this house anymore."

"What are you talking about? There's a damn lock on the door to your room; we could just go in there and …"

"Will you shut up and just go out there with me?"

Matt recoiled at his brother's tone of voice. "Jeez … fine. What the hell got into you?"

Randy didn't answer and just continued with his cereal. Confused, Matt only grabbed a glass of orange juice and headed back upstairs to grab his running shoes. When he entered his room, Camilla was just waking up.

"Where'd you go? I reached over to give you a morning kiss and you weren't there."

"I went downstairs to get breakfast, but Randy's down there acting weird. He wants me to go out running with him for a 'talk'. I'll be back later, okay?"

Matt kissed Camilla quickly before running back downstairs. Chugging down the orange juice, Matt stepped outside, nearly smacking into his brother. Not saying anything, Randy started a light jog down the driveway. The younger of the two quickly caught up.

"Now what the hell did you want to talk to me about?"

"I had one of those dreams last night. A bad dream. Like the two you had before."

Matt didn't respond until they rounded the corner to the next street. Already building up a healthy sweat in the morning sunlight, Orton's thoughts were everywhere.

"What happened?", Matt asked hesitantly, knowing that something like this couldn't be _any_ good at all.

"It's about next Monday. I don't remember who the match was against, but you got severely injured. EMTs and everything. Your face was covered in blood. I … I can't get the image out of my mind."

Matt rolled his eyes as he saw a tear flow down Randy's face as they turned into the local park trail.

"All these dreams are just stupid, Randy. What happened to my first one? Nothing. I made sure of that. Hunter was removed from our lives, at least for a little bit. He'll never be able to manipulate us again. And the second one? Only because I rolled off the damn bed and hit my head on the nightstand at the hotel! Cena didn't hit me over the head with a belt!"

"But this seemed so … so real. And I could have sworn that I was at ringside. I was sweating, my face was covered in tears …"

Matt stopped in his tracks, causing Randy to do the same.

"Wasn't it you who told me not to worry about these damn things? 'Dreams are just dreams, Matt! Nothing more!' Wasn't that you? Take your own advice and _grow up!_"

"That … that was Camilla, actually."

"Oh … well … that doesn't change my point! You're four years older than me! Can't you …"

"Will you** stop** saying that!", Randy exclaimed before shoving Matt in the chest with both hands. "Just because I'm older than you doesn't mean that I can't worry about my baby brother!"

"Ugh …", Matt recognized his position. He and Randy had gone through this exact talk numerous times before, and Matt had been trying desperately to shove his brother out of this phase. "What the hell do I need to do to set you straight? I'm _never_ going to disappear again. I'm eighteen. I wouldn't let someone just come up and take me away! Why can't you realize that I can take care of my …"

Before Matt could finish his sentence, Randy leveled him with a strong punch to the chin. Knocked down to one knee, Matt shook his head and chuckled while adjusting his jaw.

"_You know, after so many times of talking to him about this, you would think I would see that punch coming …_ Is that what you want? Instead of someone taking me out, would _you_ rather do it? **Huh?**", Matt replied, getting in his brother's face. "Is me laying in the hospital by _your_ hand going to be the trigger that pulls you out of this hole? Then do it! Knock me out! _Break_ my neck! _Separate_ my shoulder! **Crack** my skull!"

In a split second, Matt saw his brother tense up. Bracing for impact, the younger Orton shrunk back a little. However, Randy didn't attack him; instead of a punch, a knee in the stomach, or an RKO, Randy hugged his little brother. Matt suddenly felt guilty after feeling a couple of tears fall onto his shirt.

"Just … stop. Stop crying. Randy, stop! Stop this **right now!**"

The older Orton finally let go and turned his back to Matt, wiping his eyes.

"Do you want me to quit? Do you want me to stay at home?", Matt asked forcefully.

Randy stopped thinking. One side of him wanted desperately wanted to say yes, but the other side didn't want to stop his only brother from doing the thing he loved.

"Don't ask me that. Let's … let's just go home."

"But we haven't even gotten halfway through the park yet!"

"I don't care."

Randy looked up and started to walk slowly back towards the house. Matt stood, perplexed at his brother's set of emotions. In a slow charge, Matt put a hand on Randy's shoulder and spun him around. Opening Pandora's box, Matt whacked his brother hard in the stomach, then shoved him down with both hands.

"You aren't going to turn around and walk away this time! Give me an answer! **NOW!**", Matt said before pinning his brother down with a knee on his chest.

"**OF COURSE! OF COURSE I DO!**", Randy screamed out, his whole body shaking. "I … I just can't make you do that. You love getting in the ring week after week, and you staying home because of me wanting you there would just tear me to pieces."

Matt got up and smiled. "There. Feel better now?"

"You're not going to quit, are you?", Randy queried, getting back on two feet.

"Well … you did say you wanted me to stay home."

"No … no. That's just the fear talking." Randy took a deep breath before saying anything else. "I'm just going to have to take that fear I have and throw it away."

Matt chuckled. "Randy …", he pulled his sleeves up on both arms so that both shoulders were exposed. "I wanted to get your tattoos for a reason. Whenever that fear comes back and you can't stow it away, just look at your own. These are just part of the bond we share. It'll never be broken. You got my back; I got your back. Simple as that."

Randy put his arm around Matt's shoulder and slapped him on the back.

"Race ya home."

The older brother sprinted off around the corner, leaving the younger brother behind. Matt quickly sped after Randy, happy that his brother finally shoved this emotion out of his mind.

* * *

"**Are you ready?**" 

The Atlanta crowd burst into wave after wave of applause as DX's music began Monday night's RAW broadcast. Eric stood behind the curtain, microphone in hand.

"_Am I really about to do this? Am I __**really**__ going to call the Undertaker out? Am I __**really**__ going to challenge him to a __**Hell in a Cell **__match?! I must be crazy…"_

"No, you're not", came a voice behind him. Eric spun around to see Shawn Michaels.

"How … how did you … how did you know …", Eric babbled.

"I know you, remember? Just relax and do what you have to do. If Taker tries to pull anything, I'm sure you can handle it. The only reason he won at Judgment Day was because of a cheap shot. You can do this."

"**BREAK IT DOWN!**"

As his cue came and went, Eric looked at his mentor and smiled. With a renewed sense of confidence, Barringer stepped out onto the stage, raising his arms high up in the air in the 'X' symbol. Climbing into the ring, Eric showed only seriousness and called for his music to be cut.

"Tonight … tonight is not a night of DX's usual tomfoolery. Tonight is a night for business. Tonight is a night for bravery. You see, I have to confess something. Just like my best friend, Matthew Orton …"

Eric paused for a short while as some of the women in the crowd started to whistle. Backstage, Matt couldn't help but smirk. Camilla promptly elbowed him in the back.

"… I was deathly afraid of someone here in the WWE as a kid. And I'm not kidding when I say that. Whenever this person would make an entrance, I would turn off the TV and run out of the room. For Matt, that person was Kane. And we all know how that ended …"

Eric pointed to the TitanTron as a clip of Matt winning the Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania started to play. Nodding his head and clapping, Eric resumed his conversation.

"Now … Matt took out Kane. Matt did something no one else in the WWE could have done. Well … maybe _one_ other person. And when that person says he's a "dead man walkin'", I can tell you he ain't lyin'. **Undertaker, get your ass out here!**"

The arena was alive with boos as Taker's music started and the motorcycle carrying the Deadman roared to ringside. Getting into the ring, Taker had an incredulous look on his face as he snatched the microphone from Eric.

"Who do you think you are, boy? Who the _hell_ do you think you are? You come out here and have the balls to call _me_ out? To me, you're still a scared little kid. To me …"

Eric suddenly snatched the microphone back for himself. "Me? A kid? A _scared_ little kid? If you ask me, _you're_ the one who's scared. If you weren't, you would have had the _guts_ to not end our match at Judgment Day like you did. You used that chain to take me down. You used a weapon illegally to win the match. Now … now I want a place where anything goes. I want a place where using a weapon is perfectly legal. Just like Matt and Kane … I want you in **Hell in a Cell!**"

**BOOM!**

A shot of red light and fire came from the stage, and Kane came out from behind the curtain.

"**WHAT THE HELL?!**", shouted a shocked Matt, thinking that Kane was on Smackdown. "What the hell is _**he**_ doing here!?" Before anyone could answer him, the younger Orton was already out the door. Back in the ring, Taker had grabbed Eric by the neck with both hands and was choking the younger DX member. Kane slowly strolled down the ramp with a small limp; the injury from WrestleMania apparently was still ailing the Big Red Machine.

However, the crowd exploded as they saw Matt burst from behind the curtain. Kane's limp gave Matt just enough time to catch up to him; Matt capitalized by diving shoulder first into the back of Kane's injured knee. Expecting his brother in the ring already, Taker turned around towards the ensuing fight on the floor; this gave Eric enough of a distraction to wriggle free. Taker turned around only to get a knee to the crotch and an uppercut to the jaw. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, Eric slid out of the ring towards the ramp. Matt had let that malicious part of himself slip out again and was bashing Kane in the face with both fists, one after the other.

Eric pulled Matt off Kane, Orton heavily resistant. The only thing that pulled Matt's attention away was Eric Bischoff's music blaring over the loudspeaker.

"Hold on just a minute here! Taker … I don't know how you managed to pull your brother away from Smackdown, but if he's here, I'm going to use him! Tonight, there will be a tag team contest. In one corner, it will be the Undertaker and his brother Kane against Eric Barringer and Matthew Orton! And if your team wins, Eric, you'll get your wish. If you two win, you _will_ face the Undertaker at Bad Blood in a Hell in a Cell match!"

Eric and Matt looked at each other and grinned; Eric would have the opportunity to get his nemesis in that steel cell and Matt would have another opportunity to remind Kane what it felt like to be beaten to a bloody pulp again. Backstage, the rest of the locker room cheered. Shawn was especially proud of Eric, even though the match at Bad Blood wasn't for certain yet. There was somebody, however, who wasn't jubilant about what had just ensued. He sat in the corner of the locker room, staring at the belt in front of him, his whole body shaking.

John Cena wasn't too happy.

* * *

When Matt and Eric returned to the locker room, Randy quickly and eagerly pulled his brother back outside. 

"I'm gonna go out there and call out Steiner."

Matt looked at him strangely. "Okay … why are you telling me this? Just go do it."

"Well … I thought you might want to know. When I win, Bischoff might consider me for another shot at your title."

Matt chuckled while rolling his eyes. "I thought this didn't matter to you right now."

"It doesn't. I'll just have another opportunity to beat your ass."

"Just … go out there and do your thi …" Matt's eyes landed on someone behind Randy. The elder Orton turned around to see Jeff Hardy get in his face.

"You … me … _tonight_."

A slow grin spread across Randy's face. "Seeing as that I've already been partly responsible for nearly destroying your bastard of a brother, I'd say that I've got _bigger_ fish to fry. Move out of my way."

"No", Hardy replied, not moving a muscle.

Matt took a step forward, but Randy held him back. "I said … move … out … of my way."

"And I said _no_."

Randy rolled his eyes and slugged Jeff suddenly across the face, knocking Hardy down. Matt had a hardy chuckle and went back inside the locker room while Randy stepped over Jeff's body towards the ring.

'Line in the Sand' began to play and the crowd responded just as fervently as when Eric came out at the beginning of the night. Randy came out, posing to his pyro, and made his way down to the ring. Orton stepped over to Lilian and picked up a microphone. For a moment … just for a moment … Randy locked eyes with the RAW ring announcer. They both smiled.

Climbing into the ring, Orton posed one last time on the turnbuckle before getting ready to speak.

"I guess Barringer isn't the only one with some loose ends to tie up. You see, I'm going to cut to the chase. This man has tried before to tear my brother and I apart, and he's still got a beating comin'. Steiner! Get out here **right now!**"

There was a long pause. It seemed if Steiner wasn't coming out. Randy shook his head and smirked, recognizing that Steiner might be scared …

On the TitanTron suddenly, a camera showed the body of Scott Steiner, knocked out and bloody. A steel chair and a lead pipe were beside the body, and Randy instantly knew what had happened. Before he could say anything else, Jeff Hardy sprinted down to the ring. A brawl ensued, with Randy eventually getting the upper hand. Soon, several referees came down and tore apart the two men.

Backstage, Matt was about to run out to help his brother, but Batista restricted him from doing so.

"Let him deal with this. You've already got enough on your plate."

Orton shrugged and sat down next to his tag team partner, who was watching the monitor in an emotionless manner. After Cena didn't say anything for quite a while, Matt started a conversation.

"So who do you think'll come after us for these first?"

Cena didn't answer.

"John?", Matt asked quietly. "You okay?"

"I'm tired of this."

"Tired? Tired of what?"

"Tired of you getting all the spotlight."

Orton cocked his head to the side in surprise. "Wait … _what_?"

"Every time something big goes down, you get up and run out there like you _have _to get involved! And I'm sick and tired of it! We're supposed to be a team and we haven't had a match together since Judgment Day!"

"Cena, it's been _eight days _since Judgment Day! We've only had one RAW since then! What the hell has gotten int…"

"_And_ now you're teaming up with this degenerate!", John muttered quietly.

"_That's_ what you're mad about? You're mad that I'm teaming up with Eric instead of you? Are … are you _jealous?_"

Cena's grimace on his face disappeared. Shaking his head, he looked down at the floor and put his face in his hands.

"You _are_, aren't you? Wow … I feel like I'm in elementary school again. You think Eric's gonna take me away from you? You think that I won't be your friend anymore? Your '_bro_'? Grow the hell up, John! Besides Batista and Shawn, you're the oldest one here! Aren't you 27 years old or something like that? Good lord …"

"Listen, Orton", Cena snapped back, "I never had any friends in school. The only buds I had were in college, and they were always drunk off their ass or high as a kite. You're the only friend I've ever had who isn't an asshole!"

Matt stopped talking and chuckled in disbelief. _"Am I the only level-headed person in this goddamn family?"_

The locker room door opened and Eric Bischoff walked into the room.

"Cena! Orton! You're first up!"

Matt was confused. "Bischoff, Randy's still out there."

"Not your brother. You. You and Cena have a match tonight."

Eric and Matt both shot Bischoff looks of bewilderment. Barringer immediately shot to his feet and stood face to face with the General Manager of RAW.

"Hold on! Hold on a just a goddamn minute! Matt and I already have a match tonight!"

"That match was going to be a Handicap match until Orton stuck his nose in the middle of things. But what can I do? That'll boost ratings."

Barringer looked like he was about to burst his lid. "So … you … you _knew_ that Kane was on RAW? You _let_ _**him come out**_?"

"If you even put a finger on me, Barringer, you're fired. Oh, and a couple things before I leave, Orton. Your brother's facing Jeff Hardy in a Tables match."

Matt got up and joined Eric by his side. "There's nothing my brother can't do. He'll be glad to RKO Hardy through a table."

Bischoff wasn't finished. "Whoever wins that match gets a shot at your Intercontinental title next week. And as for your match tonight, it's contested under Hardcore rules. And if your opponents win, you'll defend those World Tag Team Championships against them at Bad Blood. Good luck. I think you're gonna need it, Orton." Bischoff finally left the room, leaving all of Evolution and D-Generation X stunned.

"I would give my left arm just to punch that bastard in the face", Eric sputtered out loud.

"Wait, do we even know who we're going up against?", Cena asked hurriedly.

"No", Matt replied. "But if it's under Hardcore rules, I have a hunch."

After Orton and Cena quickly changed into ring gear, the World Tag Team Champions grabbed their belts and started to walk out of the room. Just as they were reaching the door, Eric stopped Matt.

"Be careful out there. I'm counting on you for later tonight."

"Whoever it is, they're not touching on me."

"I won't let them", Cena replied with a smile on his face. Pleasantly surprised, Matt turned to his partner and slapped him on the back. As they were turning around towards the door again, Randy burst into the room.

"Heard the news?", asked his little brother. "You get to put Hardy through a table. You two have a Tables match later on."

"Kick ass!", Randy shouted, smiling and cracking his knuckles. "By the way, do you know why they're putting all those trash cans and crap in the ring?"

"Hardcore match. Guess who?", Matt responded. Randy's face instantly sunk, remembering the dream he had last week as Matt and John walked off to the curtain. _"It's just a dream … just a freaking dream …"_

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and it is to be contested under Hardcore rules! Introducing first, at a combined weight of 479 pounds, they are the World Tag Team Champions, Matthew Orton and John Cena!"

Matt posed to his golden pyro while Cena did his usual 'You can't see me!' hand gesture. Looking inside the ring at the tools of destruction already inside, both men took a deep breath before walking to the ring.

"You never told me who your hunch was."

"Think about it, John. A Hardcore tag team match. Who else could it be but …"

The fans soon finished Matt's sentence.

"… **Rob **… **Van** … **Dam!**"

* * *

_Can Evolution pass by the pair of ECW Originals? And will this effect Eric's chances of getting the Undertaker in Hell in a Cell? And what of the moment between Randy and Lilian?_

_Hope you enjoyed it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	50. Destination

_Must … resist … urge … to smash TV in … after watching SummerSlam … _

_Okay … I think I'm better. On with the story._

_Can the younger Orton survive two tag team matches, one to save himself and Cena from defending their titles and one to earn Eric a shot at the Undertaker? Then, after RAW concludes, Randy goes to act on more advice from his brother._

_Chapter number fifty. Here we go._

* * *

As Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer walked down the ramp, Orton looked over at Cena with a nervous look on his face. John responded by picking up a nearby trash can and standing at the ready. Matt stood rooted to the spot, definitely not ready for a match of this caliber. 

"_I'm __**not**__ a hardcore wrestler … how the hell am I gonna get through this?"_

Matt didn't have time to think of an answer as Dreamer took aim at his head with a Singapore cane. Orton dodged and knocked the cane out of Tommy's hand, throwing it behind him. The flying weapon hit Rob Van Dam smack in the eye, giving Cena enough time to smash RVD's head in with that trash can.

"Don't chicken out, yo!", Cena yelled at his partner. "Grab somethin' and use it!"

Orton saw Dreamer coming at him with a chair this time. Instead of dodging, Matt reached up and grabbed the chair with both hands, stopping Dreamer in mid-swing. With Cena and Van Dam occupied outside of the ring, it soon became a power struggle to gain control. Dreamer was no slouch; Matt was using every ounce of his strength. Forming a plan, Orton quickly let go and moved out of the way. The momentum Dreamer had sent him stumbling forward into the ropes; the chair bounced off the top and smacked Tommy in the forehead.

"1, 2, …"

Wondering what the hell was going on, Matt turned to see Van Dam get up from covering John. Trembling, Orton looked at his now crimson-faced partner. Matt felt the animal instincts inside him stir and grabbed a nearby street sign. Taking careful aim, Orton bounced off the ropes and executed a perfect baseball slide into Rob Van Dam's face. With RVD stunned, Orton lifted the street sign and brought it down on Van Dam's cranium with a sickening thud.

"_You want hardcore … I'll give you freakin' hardcore …"_

Without paying attention to either Dreamer or Cena, Orton started to look under the ring. The crowd went crazy as they saw a table being lifted onto the canvas. Regaining his wits, Orton saw Dreamer recovering in the corner. Tommy suddenly charged and speared Matt down, knocking the air out of the Intercontinental champion. This gave Dreamer enough time to set up the table; Tommy lifted Matt up and set him prone. From a rush of adrenaline, Rob Van Dam climbed up the turnbuckle and positioned himself for the Five-Star Frog Splash.

"Oh no …", creaked out Randy backstage.

"Wait!", cried out Camilla. "Look at John!"

A bloody Cena managed to grab a hold of one of RVD's feet as he jumped off the turnbuckle, causing Van Dam to fall just short of the table. Matt's eyes started to flutter open as he heard the thud from RVD hitting the canvas. With Cena still groggy, Dreamer was the only one on his feet. Grabbing the chair from earlier, Tommy slammed it down straight on Orton's chest. Matt recoiled and clutched his ribcage, screaming out in pain.

However, Tommy wasn't satisfied. Imitating his partner, Dreamer started to climb onto the top turnbuckle. Matt's chest stung like hell, but he could see what his opponent was doing. Again, Cena tried to trip up the man on the turnbuckle, but received a kick to the face for his troubles. Cena dropped like a ton of bricks down to the floor with a resounding thud. RVD was up now as well and held Orton down in place. Van Dam tossed Dreamer the chair, and the whole arena was brimming with anticipation.

Randy, Eric, Dave, Shawn, and Camilla looked on in horror as Dreamer leapt off the top rope and put the chair under his leg. The wood cracking could be heard throughout the building as the crowd moaned in recoil. Not wasting any more time, Dreamer quickly picked up the three count, making himself and his partners the #1 contenders to the World Tag Team Championships.

Looking up at the now blurry lights, Matt could only thing of how he failed his tag team partner … and how he might fail his best friend. RVD and Dreamer had already left the ring as Matt shakily got to his feet. He could see the referee tending to Cena, who was covered in the red stuff. Orton slowly slid out to his fallen partner; ignoring the ref's pleas, Matt used the rest of the strength left in him to shift Cena's weight on his shoulder. The audience started to applaud the broken champions and continued to do so as Orton and Cena moved past the curtain. Naturally, the whole crew was waiting for them. Batista and HBK took Cena from Matt and escorted him to the trainer while Camilla, Randy, and Eric attended to the younger Orton.

"Dude … that was _brutal_", spurted out Eric, not completely sure of what to say.

"I … John … where is he?"

"Dave and Shawn took him to get looked at. I think it's just that cut on his forehead. Nothing too big to worry about."

"_Too big?!_" cried out a weak Matt. "I literally carried him up here! He wasn't responding to me at all!" Matt winced, holding his midsection from screaming too loud. "And now … now I have to … now I have to rest. Move so I can go lay on the bench and rest up for Eric's match."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you think you're going out there again?", yelled out Randy. "You're way too messed up for anything else right now."

"He's right, Matt", commented Eric. "I mean … I hate Taker, but I can't risk you getting severely injured. Taker can wait."

"No! I … I have to! I can't let you down like I let down Cena!"

"You didn't let me down!", came a voice from behind the group. Cena was walking in front of Dave and Shawn with a rather large bandage wrapped around his head.

"You … you're okay?", sputtered out a surprised Orton.

"Yeah, now I am. I just got the crap kicked out of me when Dreamer shoved that fat foot in my face. Just knocked out, that's all. No concussion or anything."

Matt chuckled out of relief rather than laughter. Turning to Eric, he asked, "So you would be okay if I didn't come out there for you tonight?"

"Dude, you've done more for me in the past. It's cool."

Orton looked down at the ground and laughed. "I can't do that to you. I don't care what's happened in the past. I intend to keep my word. I'll just have the trainer wrap my ribs or something."

Randy wanted to protest as his brother walked over to the trainer's room, but stopped. Remembering the talk he had with Matt the previous week, Randy swallowed his concern and left Matt to his own devices.

"_He'll be fine. He'll be fine. He knows what his own limits are and he wouldn't be doing this if he didn't think he could. Now …"_, Randy said to himself, shifting his focus, _"… I've got a match."_

* * *

"**GET UP, YOU IDIOT!"**, shouted Matt at the monitor in front of him. Randy was prone on a table and Jeff Hardy was up on the top turnbuckle readying the Swanton Bomb. 

"**GET UP! GET UP NOW!**"

"Calm down, Matt! Jeez …", commented Camilla. "If Hardy wins, you'll just beat the crap out of him instead of Randy."

"I'd rather face my brother in the ring for this belt instead of that pathe … **YES!**"

Orton jumped sky high after seeing Randy move out of the way at the last second, sending Hardy sliding off the table and hitting his head hard on the mat. The elder Orton repositioned the table against one side of the ring and dragged Hardy to his feet. Whipping Jeff to the ropes, Randy caught him in a spinning powerslam straight into the table.

"Here is your winner, **Randy Orton!**" Lilian was a bit more enthusiastic announcing the winner this time. Randy looked over to her and smiled again, before turning his attention towards the ramp. The fans had cried out in surprise at the younger Orton brother coming down the ramp. Bandaged ribs and all, Matt climbed into the ring holding both of his title belts. Giving his brother a sly smirk, Matt lifted the Intercontinental title above his head.

"You know, I could RKO your ass right now", Randy commented.

"But you won't. You're just scared."

Randy rolled his eyes and put his arm around his brother. "Shut up and get back to the locker room. You should be resting."

To the cheers of the crowd, the brothers walked up the ramp and returned to the room. Shawn and Dave would be up next; Bischoff had scheduled an exhibition match between the two. Randy went to the showers and Matt sat down next to Camilla.

"Did you see the way he looked at her?"

Matt cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Who looked at who how now?"

"Randy and Lilian. He smiled directly at her. And didn't you hear how she said his name when he won? She doesn't do that for anyone else."

"Are you trying to tell me that they may have a thing for each other?"

"It sure looked liked it to me. You should convince Randy to ask her out. We could go on another double date."

"I don't know", replied a skeptical Orton, "Randy might not like the idea of a double date anymore."

"Why?"

Matt gave Camilla a glare, expecting her to know better. Camilla looked down at the ground and responded.

"You know he's gotten over it. Hell, he was over it the day after it happened. Besides, if you want Randy to have someone in his life, you better try to encourage him all you can."

"Encourage me to do what?", came a voice behind them. Randy had already gotten out of the shower, completely dressed.

"Damn, you're fast … anyway, um … I guess …"

"Well? Spit it out!"

Matt hesitated, but Camilla gave him a gentle nudge on the shoulder.

"You … you should go out there after tonight's over and … uh … ask Lilian out. And then, uh, … we could go out on a double date or something." Matt's voice trailed off due to his lack of confidence, and for good reason. Randy looked at him with a face full of fury.

"How can you _**ask**_ me something like that?", Randy blurted out, grabbing his brother by the neck and shoving him up against the wall. Matt screamed out in pain, the rest of the room not moving in utter shock of what just happened.

"I'm … I'm sorry!", Matt managed to squeak out. "I didn't … _cough_ … I didn't know you were still … dammit, just let me go! Please!"

Randy stifled a laugh watching his brother squirm. "You scare too easily. I'm just messing with you."

Matt looked at his brother with a blank stare. "You son of a …"

"Cool it, Matt", interjected Eric. "Look at that." Barringer pointed to the monitor to see Kevin Nash interfering in Dave and Shawn's match. Nash was about to deliver a Jackknife Powerbomb to Dave, but was stopped by HBK's incoming Sweet Chin Music. Dave recovered and delivered a powerful Batista Bomb to his adversary. After all was set and done and Nash had rolled out of the ring, the Heartbreak Kid and the Animal shook hands, much to the delight of the crowd.

"We'll settle this at a later date", Dave said calmly.

"At Bad Blood then", suggested Shawn.

"That's out of my hands. You know that."

"Then Bischoff gets an earful tonight."

Batista and Michaels returned to the locker room. Meanwhile, the younger Orton sighed, knowing that his second match of the night was creeping closer.

"_You failed Cena already. You can't fail Barringer now. Just focus on the match to get it over with as quickly as you can. Kane's leg … just focus on Kane's leg."_

Matt jumped when someone slapped him on the back.

"Whoa, man …", Eric replied, "… didn't mean to frighten you. You know we're after the next match, right?"

Matt sighed. "Yeah … unfortunately."

"Dude, you don't have to do this. You're injured and …"

"We don't know the extent of my injury yet. Its probably just some bruised ribs, nothing more."

"The last thing we need is you injured right now. We would be out two belts and that's something we don't need."

Matt chuckled, even though it hurt to do so. "You're talking like DX and Evolution are one group."

"We practically are! Ever since Shawn came back and Randy invited us into your house, we might as well call ourselves D-Evolution X!"

Orton cocked his head to the side in skepticism. "_D-Evolution X?_ Well … I guess that sort of has a ring to it … sort of … maybe … well …"

"Okay, maybe not. But still, we might as well consider ourselves one faction! Wait a minute, that's beside the point. You've done a lot for me, and you don't have to do this. I don't think I would be here on RAW if it wasn't for you. After all … I _did_ beat you when you returned from separating your shoulder. You gave me my first big win."

"_Big_ win? You considered me _big_ at that time?"

"Maybe not in the eyes of the crowd or the guys backstage, but to me … yeah. I hardly ever beat you at anything and to beat you in a match … that gave me the biggest confidence boost I had ever received."

Matt smiled, humbled by Eric's speech. "You … you … really?"

"Yeah. That really gave me the courage to stand up against you at No Way Out. Otherwise, I think I may have quit."

"So even though I put you through hell and smacked you with a sledgehammer …"

"… I stayed in the WWE to get you to change your ways. To change you back to the Matt I knew in high school."

His mind firing in all directions, Matt motioned over to his best friend. "Come with me. I have an idea."

Eric and Matt both slipped out of the room, earlier than expected for their match. As the current match ended and RAW went to commercial, Camilla looked for Matt to give him a good luck kiss.

"Anyone know where the boys went? I can't find them."

Batista and Cena looked up and shrugged. Randy shook his head. Shawn looked like he was clueless.

"**Are you ready?**"

Everyone turned to the monitor to see the familiar DX intro movie.

"Huh … they disappeared all of a sudden and now …"

Normally, '**BREAK IT DOWN**' would play at this moment, but 'Line in the Sand' burst out onto the arena speakers. Matt and Eric walked onto the stage together; Matt posed just as he would before, despite his injured chest, and Eric made the 'X' symbol above his head. The modified pyro they had set up beforehand was now a combination of green and gold. The pair had left the room early to display the friendship, loyalty, and respect between the two factions by changing their music and pyrotechnics. Climbing into the ring together, Eric and Matt were all business as they waited for …

**BOOM!**

Red fire shot from underneath the stage and an engine roared as the Undertaker drove both himself and his brother Kane to the ring. The younger men stood their ground and started to pound upon the two big monsters as they started to crawl inside. With the bell ringing, the referee struggled to restore order before the Undertaker and Matt returned to their corners. Eric was working on Kane's injured knee, stomping on it repeatedly. With Kane literally one-legged, Eric went up to the turnbuckle and tagged Matt in at the same time. Launching himself at the Big Red Machine, Barringer was completely thrown for a loop when Kane caught him in position for a chokeslam.

Quickly forming a plan, Matt slingshotted himself over the ropes and aimed a missile dropkick straight at Kane's knee. A loud scream filled the arena as Kane buckled and let Eric go. Grabbing his still tender chest, Orton wrapped an arm around Kane's neck and squeezed as hard as he could.

"No, you moron! You need to do something more than that!", commented Randy backstage.

As if hearing his brother, Matt let go and tried to get Kane on his feet. Once the Big Red Machine was balanced on one leg, Matt put Kane's head under an arm and signaled for the MKO. As Matt lifted Kane up, however, Orton slipped and instead only suplexed Kane. Unfortunately, the Undertaker managed to tag himself in as Kane fell to the mat and immediately lifted Orton up for a backbreaker.

Randy cringed looking at his brother scream out in pain, but resisted running out there and helping him. _"He's his own man now … he can deal with this … he can deal with this … he can deal with this …"_

Matt was desperately reaching towards the ropes; Taker had put an abdominal stretch hold on him, causing Orton's ribs to throb in pain. Grinding his teeth together to fight off the torture on his midsection, Matt could feel the top rope on the end of his fingers.

"_Just … just a little more … got it!"_

But Taker wasn't letting go. Instead, he started delivering overhead forearms to Matt's chest while simultaneously grabbing the ropes for extra leverage. Eric was going nuts, furious that the Deadman wasn't releasing the hold.

"This is what you get for injuring my brother's knee! _This_ is what you pay!" Taker reached down and pulled out a large metal chain from his boot and raised it up in the air, obviously aiming for Matt's ribcage. The referee had since rung the bell for Taker not releasing the hold, allowing Eric to charge in and unleash a fury of attacks: punches, kicks, stomps … all for trying to injure his best friend. Barringer noticed the chain on the ground and smiled. Looking up, Matt thought Eric would ram the chain into Taker's forehead.

Eric turned his back to the chain, Kane, and Taker and helped Matt to his feet.

"You're … you're not gonna …", Matt creaked out.

"No. That can all wait until Bad Blood."

"But the match … we … we didn't …"

"Yes, we did. By disqualification. You didn't hear Lilian?"

Orton looked over at a concerned Lilian, then screamed out as a heavy, dull pain came over him, like something extremely huge was sitting on his chest. Eric quickly helped Matt up the ramp to the trainer's office, where Randy was already waiting.

"Well?!", the older brother asked, obviously concerned.

"I don't think … I don't think they're broken …"

"We'll see about that", said the trainer. He carefully unwrapped the bandages off Matt's body and applied pressure to specific points on his chest.

"Describe the pain."

"Dull … heavy …"

"It's not sharp at all?"

"No. I don't think it is."

"Is he okay?", came a female voice from the doorway. Randy looked over to see Lilian, nearly in tears. Looking back at his brother, Randy saw him wink and nod his head over towards her.

"What? … How? …", Randy whispered to his brother.

"I'm fine. This was all a plan. Go get her!"

Randy smiled and looked back at Lilian, then back at his brother. Walking over to the RAW ring announcer, Orton took her out of the trainer's room.

"Is he okay? He … he didn't look very good out there!", Lilian said in sobs.

"Shhhh … he's fine. He's an Orton; he can take that kind of punishment."

Lilian smiled and wiped a small tear off her cheek. "Well … you _did_ do well in that Tables match earlier. Maybe you two are cut out to be hardcore-style wrestlers."

Randy had a good chuckle. "Me and Matt? Hardcore? Nah …"

There was a short awkward silence. Randy noticed Lilian looking him up and down.

"You know, you have a beautiful voice. When you sing the national anthem each night before we go on the air, you sound like an angel."

Lilian grinned. "You know, you're the millionth man to tell me something like that …"

Randy frowned, thinking he had struck out.

"… but you're the only one who actually sounded sincere."

Orton looked back up quickly and locked eyes with Lilian. "You really mean that?" Lilian nodded, and Randy's cheeks actually started to turn a shade of red.

"You know, I'd love to have you over at our house for dinner sometime."

"I … I think I'd like that."

Another awkward silence. Eyes locked, Randy leaned in and gave Lilian a short kiss. After it was broken, Lilian took out a pen and wrote something on Randy's hand.

"That's my number. Give me a call when you want me there. I'll be waiting."

Randy nodded and smiled, looking at Lilian walk away. From the doorway of the trainer's room, Matt and Eric looked at each other with grins on their faces. Randy quickly turned around and gave his brother a big hug.

"Dude, you're awesome! You did all that for _me_?"

"Randy …", Matt said coughing, " … this doesn't mean you can squeeze the life out of me!" His brother quickly let go, leaving Matt wincing. "I said I was okay, but I still hurt … jeez."

Orton smiled and his mind started to wander as the trio walked back to the locker room. Randy felt more alive than ever. He didn't feel this way when he met either Jennifer or Torrie. For those two, it just wasn't meant to be. But for Lilian …

"_Could she be my destiny? … Whoa, hold on. You just met her. Keep a level head and just give it a shot. What have I got to lose?"_

* * *

_What __**does**__ Randy have to lose? Could this be the beginning of another path to love for Orton? Or will Randy strike out at his third at bat?__ Next time, we'll see how the group greets Randy's newfound friend for a mini-vacation. What new developments will occur in the Evolution/DX family?_

_Hope you enjoyed reading this one!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	51. Connection

_Since its been a while between updates, here's another chapter!_

_Evolution and D-Generation X take a much needed break from the weekly grind as everyone travels to San Antonio for a night on the town. How will Randy's attitude change now that he might have another shot at companionship? Matt summons up the courage to ask his brother for advice on a touchy subject. Also, Randy and Lilian discuss life while taking a short walk with each other._

_Here we go. Let's try for something different. Hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

Randy couldn't hold his happiness in at all on the plane ride to Texas. He couldn't stop talking, smiling, or tapping his foot. Matt and Camilla especially noticed the difference and couldn't help but be pleased. Ever since the incident, Randy had always been solemn and downtrodden at home; the engaged couple welcomed the change in atmosphere. 

"So where are we going?" asked Randy.

"For the fifth time, Orton", replied Shawn Michaels, "Matt, Eric, and I are taking you guys down to the Riverwalk tomorrow night."

"What's that?"

Matt poked his head over the seat and slapped his brother on the back of the head.

"Where you _walk_ down by the _river_ … idiot."

HBK smiled and continued the response. "Lots of restaurants and everything down there. From Chinese to Italian to some good ole' Texan cuisine. All with outdoor seating under the night sky. You really can't beat it."

"Especially when you've gone there so many times", interjected Eric. "Nothing can really compare to the atmosphere down there. And with what's going on right now, we could use the relief." Eric turned to Matt. "How's your chest?"

"I'm managing. I can breathe easier and it doesn't hurt when I stretch anymore. I guess I should thank my lucky stars."

"You _should_, Orton", commented Batista from another row back. "It looked like Taker's shots really hurt. I'm surprised you don't have any broken ribs."

"If it wasn't for Eric, Taker would have broken me in half."

"Well, now you don't have to worry about it", said Camilla, rubbing her hand on Matt's back. "Let's just drop our day jobs for the week and let go."

The group was a little stunned when Batista, the man who strived for consistency in training and discipline, nodded his head in agreement. "Like Eric said … we all deserve a break every now and then."

"Is there an arcade or something down the Riverwalk?" chimed in Cena, who had been relatively quiet.

"Yeah. There's one at the mall … which Shawn forgot to mention", Matt mentioned, hoping to gain a spot of superiority over the legend.

"Good!", yelled out Camilla. "We can go shopping then!"

Randy, Matt, John, Dave, Shawn, and Eric all groaned, knowing that Camilla would spend hours upon hours in clothing stores. Malls were to be avoided at all costs. After Camilla finished blabbering about what she could buy, Randy looked out the window at the clouds and the emerging stars.

"_I can't believe I feel this way. I feel more strongly about Lilian than I ever did Torrie, and I haven't even gotten to know her."_ Randy took a deep breath. _"I admit that one of the reasons I proposed to Torrie was that I wanted to keep in pace with Matt … and that isn't the way it should have happened. I didn't know her completely when I asked her and I paid the price for it. Not this time. Not ever again. If I'm going to look for love, I'm going to take my time. If it so happens that Lilian is the one … so be it. And if not …"_ Randy chuckled before thinking, "_… there are plenty more fish in the sea."_

By the time the plane landed in San Antonio, it was already too late to go out. A snoring Batista and a pair of Ortons served more to that point. Evolution and DX took up residence at the Michaels household, where almost everyone instantly fell asleep. Matt and Camilla laid in their bed, looking up at the ceiling. Camilla had gently laid her head on Matt's chest and he was running his hand through her hair.

"What do you think about Randy and Lilian?", asked Camilla.

"I can't really think of anything yet. We still haven't actually seen them together."

"Oh, come on! Randy's changed his whole personality just from meeting her! Just think of what could possibly happen in the future!"

"You're already putting them at the altar? Be realistic! They've only just met!"

"I think _you_ need to be more realistic. We were separated for a long while before I found you in that supermarket. And even with what happened at the Royal Rumble, we're getting married! Seeing your brother together with Lilian isn't _that_ farfetched."

"Then we should invite her down to the Riverwalk tomorrow. That way Randy can have a date."

"You should run to Randy and tell him that before he starts dreaming of her."

Matt immediately hopped out of bed and down the hall. The door to Randy's guest room was closed, but Matt opened it without knocking. Randy was sitting next to the window, talking to someone on the phone.

"… hold on." Randy turned to Matt. "What do you want? I'm talking to Lilian."

"You should invite her down here tomorrow. We'll pay for the plane ticket."

Randy smiled before returning to the conversation. Matt assumed that Lilian had accepted when Randy stood straight up and nearly hit the ceiling. Randy said goodbye and nearly tackled his brother over in celebration.

"Whoa! Ease up! I'm still hurt, remember?"

"Dude … I gotta remember that you're the brains of this family."

"It was Camilla's idea. Now get to sleep so we can get started early tomorrow."

"Early? I thought we were just going out tomorrow night."

"Well, first we gotta buy Lilian's ticket tonight. Then in the morning, I'm taking you somewhere special."

"You're not leaving Camilla for me, are you?", Randy said with a smirk on his face.

"Shut the hell up and go to sleep before I bash your face in. I've never really had the chance to get to know you better since that night I first met you and I want somewhere where we can talk freely."

Randy was intrigued by Matt's statement. After a year and a month, you would think two brothers would know each other through and through by now.

"_What the hell could Matt want to talk about?"_, Randy thought to himself after his brother left the room. His thoughts turned to snores as the older Orton eventually fell asleep.

* * *

Randy was woken up when a pillow was shoved into his face. Matt had walked back into the room last night only to find his brother asleep. After failing to wake him up, Matt had to find Lilian's number and made sure she got the ticket, all without Randy's help. 

"Get up. I've already put up with enough of your crap."

It took Randy nearly thirty minutes to finally wake up. By the time Matt was ready, everyone was already up and moving. When Orton finally made it downstairs, he was only half-dressed.

"Do you _always_ have to walk around without a shirt?"

"What?", asked Randy. "Are we supposed to do something?"

"_Clueless git."_ Matt decided to ditch his plan and just yanked his brother into the backyard. Matt took a seat on a picnic bench and pointed Randy to the seat in front of him.

"Why are we here?"

"Don't you remember anything I told you last night or this morning?"

The elder Orton scratched his head as if in deep thought. "No … I really don't."

"Ugh … listen. Lilian's coming down tonight, and I …"

"Now I remember _that_!"

Matt laughed and rolled his eyes, conjecturing that the excitement for Lilian's arrival must have wiped his brother's memory. "I wanted to ask you about … well … um …"

The younger brother stuttered and struggled to find words. The older brother sat in the sun, wondering what the hell Matt was trying to say.

"Matt, we could be having breakfast right now. You can smell the bacon from out here! Hurry up!"

"You've … done …_ it_ … before, right?"

Randy burst out in laughter as his brother's cheeks turned a bright shade of red. "That's it?! That's what you wanted to bring me out here for? To ask about _sex_?"

"You know, I would think my own brother would support me in this sort of situation. I've never had sex before and I'm worried that I won't satisfy her."

Matt wasn't getting through to Randy; the older brother was still laughing his ass off.

"Can you be serious! I'm scared about this!"

"You're a little wimp if you can't man up to this! Do you really think that this is something I can teach you?"

Matt started to breathe hard and his heart rate soared at his brother ridiculing him in this manner.

"Matt, you're an Orton. It'll come naturally to you. Believe me."

"Wait a minute! Wait a goddamn minute! You forget that I _wasn't_ an Orton for 16 years! My last name was Pryce! Mom and Dad were the most conservative people I had ever known! I never got out like you did! I never lived the life of an Orton! How the hell am I supposed to know this sort of stuff! How can it come _naturally_ to me?"

Randy finally stopped laughing and got serious. Getting up, he stepped over to his scared little brother and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It'll come … **naturally** … believe me. Just because your last name was Pryce for that long doesn't hide the fact that you've got the Orton blood flowing through you. Just calm down and when that moment comes, you'll know what to do. Trust me."

At that moment, Camilla opened the back door and motioned for the two brothers to join the breakfast line.

"You've still got a ways to go before that moment comes. Just relax and focus on other things."

Randy got up to join the rest of the family, leaving Matt still standing near the picnic table. Matt still couldn't believe that Randy gave him the same response; Randy couldn't _possibly_ know what he was going through. Balling his fist, Matt felt like charging at his brother and spearing him down from behind.

"_What is that going to solve? We fight all the time and what happens? Nothing. The same would apply here."_ Matt looked on as Camilla kept waving him inside. _"I guess … I guess I have to trust him."_ A disappointed Orton walked into the house and quickly served himself breakfast. The morning he had set aside to get some brotherly insight had turned into a morning of ridicule and embarrassment. Sitting down at the dining room table, Matt poked at his eggs with his fork.

"I don't think I'm hungry."

"Why not?" asked Batista, mouth full of ham.

"I … I'm just not." Matt put his fork down loudly and rubbed his eyes.

"_You are not going to cry. You are not going to cry in front of everyone. You just aren't. Get over it and just eat your damn breakfast."_

Only that wasn't Matt's own thought. He looked up at his brother, who seemingly knew what was about to happen.

"_Listen. Maybe I was a little bit harsh out there with you. But I meant what I said. It will come naturally. I didn't mean to attack your manhood and belittle you out there. I know you were a sheltered kid growing up, and I'm trying to deal with that. Just know that if you love Camilla, nothing can come between you and her."_

"_This coming from the person who can't keep a girlfriend."_

"_Shut the hell up and eat your food."_

With a newly found smile upon his face, Matt tore into his breakfast, chowing down on eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, and even a stack of pancakes.

"Whoa there, Orton! Save room for tonight!", exclaimed Cena. "You look like you haven't eaten in days."

"Nah … just doing what comes naturally."

The morning quickly passed and the time came to pick up Lilian from the airport. Shawn let the brothers and Camilla borrow his truck, under threat of getting their heads chopped off if any damage was done to the vehicle.

"Are you excited?" Camilla asked Randy.

"Excited? I'm the most excited person on the planet right now. I really think that there's a chance with us."

"You won't ask her to marry you tonight, will you?" Matt asked jokingly.

Randy nudged his brother in the gut, causing Matt to wince a little. His midsection had healed nicely overnight, but there was still a little tenderness. After a little backtracking due to Randy's experience … or lack thereof … with the layout of San Antonio, the Ortons finally arrived at the airport to see Lilian waiting on the curb.

"I've been waiting here for almost an hour! Where have you guys been?" Lilian asked, giving Randy a short kiss on the cheek.

"Blame my brother; he can't give good directions."

"Me? I lived here for sixteen years; you just suck as a driver."

Lilian and Camilla watched as the brothers bickered over this little mishap.

"This happens a lot", Camilla explained. "Better learn to get used to it."

"Ah, I see. They're cute thought, when they argue. Then again, they're just plain cute."

The women giggled as Matt and Randy continued to argue while loading Lilian's bags into the truck.

"Is Matt okay? I saw his stomach was bandaged last night."

"He's fine. Nothing serious. Although it's still a little bit tender. Watch."

Matt screamed out a little as Camilla gave him a series of short slaps on the chest. Lilian laughed as the other three people in the car started a huge argument.

"_I think I'm gonna like it here."_

* * *

The afternoon turned into evening, and everyone got a little dressed up to go on the Riverwalk. Of course, the type of restaurant they would be going to was a subject of hot debate. Eric, Shawn, and Matt wanted some classic Texas cuisine while Dave, Randy and John wanted Italian for dinner. Lilian and Camilla stood back and talked of a way to solve this dilemma. 

"Hey guys! Let's have a little contest." Lilian stepped in between the arguing men. "Arm wrestling. Best of 3 picks where we eat tonight."

"Sometimes I think you were born to officiate stuff like this", Randy sputtered out.

Lilian blushed and moved out of the way. Each team moved to one side of the living room and discussed strategy. Naturally, neither Eric, Shawn, nor Matt wanted to go up against Batista; that was a surefire win for the other team. After a bit of bickering, it all came down to a game of rock-paper-scissors, which Shawn promptly lost. Matt then chose to go up against his brother, with Eric taking on Cena.

Eric vs. John was first. Camilla stood ready at the middle of the living room coffee table to make sure no one was cheating. The match was intense, with Cena getting the upper hand, quite literally. However, Eric managed to shift his weight enough to bring the Chain Gang rapper's arm down to the table.

"Damn … John's got a hell of an arm."

"No kidding", Matt replied. "Imagine being put in the STFU. _That's_ gotta hurt."

Shawn went up against Batista next in a match that lasted all of 10 seconds. HBK didn't really stand a chance. With the score tied at 1-1, Matt was the last hope of the Texas team. The two brothers wrapped hands and stared at each other intensely.

"Scared, Matt?"

"You wish."

Camilla gave the signal to start, but nothing was moving. Randy and Matt were matching forces, the two fists staying exactly in the middle. For a good minute or so, the only movement was either barely to the left or barely to the right. Every muscle in each man's body was straining to win the match.

"Isn't this a little much just to decide what we eat tonight?", Shawn asked.

Batista disagreed. "Just let them go. They're going to tear each other apart Monday night anyway."

HBK hesitated, but allowed the bout to continue. Matt's face was starting to twist and turn, but Randy kept a calm, cool demeanor. Before long, Randy had Matt's hand at nearly a 30 degree angle to the table. Determined not to let his brother triumph, Matt used every bit of his strength to get the competition equal again. However, that left his right arm nearly defenseless and Randy easily took it home for the Italian team. The younger competitor recoiled, holding his forearm.

"You okay?", Eric asked.

"Yeah … dammit, I wanted a steak tonight."

"Don't feel so bad", Camilla interjected. "Just think of it as a chance for Randy to connect with Lilian."

Matt nodded and decided that dinner might not be so bad after all. Shawn drove the group downtown and parked near the mall, where the river tours would start. Naturally, Camilla drug Matt straight into the nearest clothing store. He mouthed 'Help me!' to Randy, who just laughed as he watched his brother disappear into the multitude of clothing racks.

Shawn, Eric, Dave, and John all walked down to explore the rest of the mall. Of course, they got recognized by fans every five seconds and had to stop and sign autographs and take pictures, slowing their progress into the large building. Randy and Lilian managed to slip away towards the Riverwalk early. Under the night sky, a conversation started.

"What was it like when you found out your brother was still alive?"

"Still alive? I always knew he was still alive. I could feel it. That night was a little different though. It felt like he was close by … and lo and behold … there he was in the crowd. What are the odds of that happening, huh?"

"I don't believe in luck. I believe that if something like that were to happen, it was the result of fate. You were destined to meet your brother again that night."

"Destiny? You really believe in that? Do you think its destiny that brought you here to San Antonio with us?"

Without hesitation, Lilian replied. "Yes."

Randy's cheeks turned red. He had just said his earlier thoughts verbatim to Lilian, who confirmed his suspicions.

"_This is just the first date … why do I feel this way now?"_

The pair walked hand in hand, masked by the night enough to avoid getting recognized. As the night passed, the rest of the group eventually caught up to Randy and Lilian, escaping a group of fans waving pens and markers wildly. Matt was carrying Camilla's three bags full of purchased merchandise.

"You know, sometimes you just can't escape it", Shawn commented.

"Its hard to resist seeing the Heartbreak Kid in his hometown and not wanting some sort of memento", Eric answered. "I can still see the flashes of light in my eyes … jeez."

After a good while and an instant trip to the front of the line, the group of eight sat down to order. Although Matt liked Italian food, he really just wanted a steak. Eric, Shawn, and Matt all took a little bit longer ordering, just as a little payback for the others winning the arm wrestling contest.

"So where have you two been tonight?", Shawn asked Randy and Lilian.

"Down here the whole time", responded Randy. "Got to know each other a little better."

"Is your brother always this shy?", Lilian asked Matt.

Randy shot his brother a glare as Matt thought of what he could possibly say to embarrass his older sibling.

"Well … he's got good reason for it. He hasn't exactly had the best success with this sort of thing."

"What do you mean?"

Randy realized what Matt was trying to do and nodded. Matt continued his response. "Randy tends to give out his heart too easily and its had damaging consequences. I'm sure you heard about what happened to him last time by now."

"Word _does_ spread quickly around here."

"His first relationship didn't exactly end well. She cheated on him and … let's just say it ended for her in more ways then one."

Lilian was at first confused, but was rectified when Randy leaned in and whispered what Matt meant.

"Honestly, I don't know why he asked Torrie to marry him. I thought he was just …"

"… Okay, okay", Randy interrupted. "I admit it. I felt like … well … I felt like I had to keep up with you."

Matt smiled in satisfaction, Randy finally confirming what he had been thinking all this time. "And, as you can see, Lilian, he's _not_ that smart."

Randy balled a fist, but Lilian playfully hit him on the shoulder. "No playing at the dinner table, boys. Wait 'till you get home. Now, you're not going to propose to _me_ early, are you?"

The whole table was shocked at Lilian's comment, Randy most of all. "You … uh … you think … that there's a chance?"

"Why not? You're charming, mischievous, handsome … if we're made for each other, it'll work. Just give it time. I know that's something you don't like to do, but good things come to those who wait. Just think of it as your destiny."

A grin quickly spread itself across Randy's face just as the food was being brought to the table. Matt and Camilla shared a plate of ravioli, Randy and Lilian shared a plate of spaghetti, and the rest chowed down on typical Italian fare. Shawn and Eric picked at their plates, imagining it to be a juicy steak rather than a plate of pasta. Matt looked over at his brother and his date, with each of them on either end of one strand of spaghetti.

"Hey guys, this isn't a Disney movie", Cena chimed out from the other end of the table.

"So Lilian's the lady and Randy is a tramp?", Matt added.

Randy was about to punch his little brother in the face, but was stopped when Lilian connected the two ends of the spaghetti in a deep kiss. Matt and Camilla looked at each other and said …

"I guess they really _did_ connect tonight."

* * *

_With the trip in San Antonio behind them, how will Randy and Lilian progress in their relationship? And with a title defense against his brother incoming, will Matt have to deal with two matches in one night yet again?_

_Hope you liked it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	52. Berserker

_I'm on fire, guys! Here's chapter 52!_

_Anyway, Evolution and DX enter another edition of Monday Night RAW with only one thing for certain: Matt will defend his Intercontinental title against his brother. Will any other surprises creep up on the group two weeks before Bad Blood?_

_Here we go!_

* * *

"Across the Nation" by Union Underground blared through the arena speakers, signaling the beginning of the night's events. For some, it was their first time at a live WWE event. For others, it was their second or third time. And for Matt's friends, Michael, Adrian, and Travis, it was … well … they had lost count. In the days since WrestleMania, they had missed only one RAW, and that was because they had missed their flight. After the pyrotechnics lit up the room, a solitary match preview came up on the TitanTron: Randy Orton vs. Matthew Orton for the Intercontinental title. 

"Dude, this is the night Randy gets that belt back", Adrian half-yelled to make sure his friends could hear him. "Didn't you see how he put Hardy through that table last week? Randy's got Matt's number."

"No way!", replied Michael. "Matt can't possibly lose the belt so soon after winning it!"

"The guys are incredibly competitive!", interjected Travis. "There's no possible way to predict who's gonna win! Just sit down and watch the damn show!"

Backstage, Matt looked at the monitor in wonder, seeing the camera pass by his three friends.

"I knew their parents were rich … but they must be _**loaded**_ to afford sending those three to each show."

"You know, you should stop worryin' about them and start worryin' about your brother", Cena chimed in from behind. "You've seen how he's been training this week. He wants that belt."

"He doesn't want the belt. He just wants to beat my ass again."

"Damn straight." Matt and John spun around to see Randy, already in his ring gear, standing behind them. The younger Orton got up and stared straight into his brother's face.

"It's a pity we're not the first match. I've been waiting to defend this thing against you since I won it."

"Okay, alright, alright, stop it … just stop it." Camilla stepped in between the two brothers. "I've been hearing this nonstop since we got back from San Antonio and it's driving me _nuts_. Now shut up before I put you both in the Sharpshooter."

Randy and Matt both instantly quieted down, remembering that day in the backyard where they both tapped out to Camilla's submission holds.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm up first."

Matt's jaw was on the ground. "You _actually_ have a match tonight?"

"Yep. A mixed tag team match. Now don't go and get worried, Matt. It's a mixed match, not an intergender match. The guy on the other team can't touch me."

"Wait, then who's your partner?"

Cena smiled and slapped Matt on the back. "You're lookin' at 'em, bro!"

"Cena, if you let _anything_ happen to her …"

"I know, I know. You'll rip my head clean off."

"You guys know who you're gonna be facing?", asked Randy.

"Yep. Torrie and Jeff. I finally get my chance to get my hands on that little …", Camilla made a choking motion with her hands. Matt and Randy looked at each other in hesitation.

"Now, babe, it's okay to rough her up a little bit, but don't beat her to a pulp", Matt spat out.

"Oh, come on! You beat Matt Hardy to a pulp! Let me have the same chance!"

"I let myself go out there. You don't need your reputation to be damaged like mine was."

"Reputation damaged? What are you talking about? You're as popular as ever! A dual champion! Part of Evolution! Besides, people can understand what you were going through! You wanted to get revenge on Hardy for Randy!"

"Still … I watched the tape. I looked like a beast out there. People were scared."

"If you go crazy out there on me, I'll smack some sense into you", Randy said chuckling. Matt chuckled back sarcastically and punched his brother in the shoulder. A knock at the door signaled that it was finally time for the mixed tag match to start, and John and Camilla left the room after Matt gave his fiancée a good luck kiss.

"Orton! Both of you! Over here, now!"

Batista's booming voice erupted from the back of the room. Confused, Matt and Randy looked at each other and quickly trotted over to where Dave was sitting.

"Tonight is the last night of this little rivalry you have here. I'm sick and tired of it."

Randy looked at the leader of Evolution incredulously. "You're kidding, right? You're telling us that we can't have matches anymore?"

"Not just that, Orton." By now, Batista was red in the face, veins bulging from his neck. "This … this … child-like behavior that every single one of you display every single day. I've tolerated this stupidity day after day after day and now I can't stand it. You two _and _the rest of you lot better straighten up "

"Dave! Calm the hell down!", Matt interrupted. "What happened to the Batista down at the Riverwalk? 'Everyone deserves a break every once in while.' You need to chill!"

"You're right in that I enjoyed dinner. But the rest of the day was horrible. Getting chased by all those fans, seeing you two and John goof off every chance you got … and those _goddamn_ fans … I wanted to strangle some of them …"

Eventually, Batista's breathing slowed down and the two brothers sighed in relief, an uneasy silence filling the room. "For a moment there, I thought you were gonna …"

Suddenly, Batista jumped off the bench, grabbed Randy by the head, and slammed him into the lockers. Matt was too shocked to move as he saw his brother slump down to the floor in a crumpled pile of flesh and bone. Eyes wide open and his whole body shaking, the younger Orton looked into the eyes of an animal. Before he had time to react, Batista wrapped both of his hands around Matt's neck and forced him up against the wall. As Orton felt his consciousness slip away, he only saw Batista's bloodshot eyes staring back at him.

* * *

Meanwhile, the two members of D-Generation X had just entered the building, fresh from the local pizza place. "Did we get the double cheese and double mushroom?", Eric said, carrying a couple of three-liter Pepsi bottles. "Matt would kill me if we forgot that." 

"Yeah, I got it … I think I did", Shawn replied, carefully trying to open one of the pizza boxes he was balancing.

"Let me help you with that, man", shouted out Cena, who was running towards Shawn and Eric, Camilla close behind.

"You remembered the mushroom, right?", asked Camilla.

"Yeah, yeah … wait, where'd you two wander off to?", Eric asked, a little weary of John and Camilla walking in the hallway together.

"We had a mixed tag match against Hardy and Torrie. Kicked their asses all over the ring!"

"Homegirl's right. Put Torrie in the STFU and won the match. Let me tell ya, I'd be scared to go up against her."

Shawn, Eric, John, and Camilla all started to chatter on their way back to the locker room, Cena taking half the pizza boxes and Camilla helping Eric with the Pepsi. Opening the door to the room, everyone stopped in their tracks.

Matthew was unconscious in the back of the room against the wall, with a bloody Randy slowly crawling over to his little brother. Shawn and John quickly put down the pizzas while Eric and Camilla dropped the Pepsi and quickly ran over to Matt's body.

"Matt! **MATT!** Can you hear me! Say _something_, man!", Eric shouted out.

A still weak Randy, in the meantime, had made it to his brother's body. Randy grabbed Matt's wrist and felt around. His eyes opening up in surprise and adrenaline rushing through his body, Randy got to his knees.

"He … he doesn't have …"

"What? He doesn't have _what?_", a panicked Camilla screamed out.

"… a pulse." Randy immediately started to administer CPR to Matt. Camilla fainted instantly, with Eric catching her before she hit the ground. HBK and Cena were stunned.

"Who … who could have done something like this?", Shawn sputtered out. "Who could have had the … the … _nerve_ to attack them like this?"

John couldn't answer him; he was too busy freaking out over his tag team partner and best friend nearly dead. Randy literally and furiously tried to breathe some life into his brother, trying as hard as he could but having no success. Eric seemed like he was going to cry as he held an unconscious Camilla; his best friend since middle school was slipping away right in front of him. Shawn and Cena couldn't move; they were still in complete and total shock.

"Wake up! Wake up, dammit!", Randy pleaded out loud. "_**PLEASE!**_"

But nothing was happening. Randy had now been giving Matt CPR for two minutes straight.

"_No … no, god, please … please give me back my baby brother …"_

Another 30 seconds passed and still nothing. By this time, Camilla had recovered and was crying in Eric's arms. Shawn was on his knees praying that Matt would be okay. Cena still couldn't move. Randy couldn't focus anymore; his face was still crimson and his emotions were overwhelming him. Looking up to the heavens, Randy screamed out in frustration and brought both fists down onto Matt's chest in a last ditch effort to revive him.

A loud coughing filled the room and the younger Orton opened his eyes, his older brother hugging him tightly. Shock overcoming his whole persona, Matt started to cry in Randy's arms.

"You … saved my life. I … I'm … I'm scared, Randy", Matt said in between sobs.

"I'm right here, Matt. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

Randy embraced Matt harder than he ever had before. Covered in blood, Randy could only think of getting his hands on the man who nearly killed his brother.

"Who did this?", repeated the Heartbreak Kid.

Randy looked up, just for a second, and only said, "Batista."

* * *

Bischoff was now sitting in his office, wondering what to do. One of his best matches on the card for tonight might have to be cancelled because of an attack backstage. After Lilian had announced Randy down to the ring and nothing happened, Bischoff himself went to go see what was wrong. What he discovered disturbed him. His two best superstars on the ground, one bleeding profusely and one with red marks and bruises all over his neck. At first, no one even noticed that Bischoff was in the room. 

"What … what happened?", Bischoff asked slowly, wary of the emotions of the people next to him.

It was here when he learned of the brutality that took place earlier. Sitting in his office, the fans getting unruly outside in the arena, Bischoff was in a tight spot. Something serious had transpired backstage, but the fans were demanding that the show go on. His mind made up, he grabbed a nearby microphone and marched towards the ring. When Bischoff's music hit the ring, he saw that some of the fans were getting up to leave. Hurrying into the ring, Bischoff tried to explain the situation. Video footage was shown of the condition of both of the Ortons, with Matt barely able to verbally explain what happened.

"Now …", Bischoff barely able to speak, "… I know the show must go on. If … if the Ortons feel like they can still put on a good match … for these fans …"

The whole arena burst out in applause. Michael, Travis, and Adrian started an "**Orton! Orton! Orton!**" chant, and soon everyone around them joined in. Lilian looked at the stage eagerly to see either her boyfriend or his brother walk through that curtain.

But the whole arena descended into a chorus of boos when Batista's music started to play. Dave looked like he had completely snapped, and immediately climbed into the ring to face down Bischoff. The General Manager of RAW turned around to leave the ring, but was caught from behind when Batista grabbed his shoulder. Soon enough, Bischoff was lifted up into the air and brought crashing down to the canvas in a deafening Batista Bomb.

Ringside, Lilian was terrified. Batista was on a rampage, and it looked like he wasn't done. She started to scream as the aptly-named Animal locked eyes with her and grinned evilly. Batista hopped out of the ring and yanked Garcia by the hair inside the ring, positioning her for the Batista Bomb.

But the arena gave the biggest pop of the night to the Ortons as they rushed down to the ring. Batista had lifted Lilian into the air when Matt dropkicked him from behind. Randy caught his girlfriend as she fell and quickly set her down outside the ring.

"Are you okay?", Randy said, now bandaged heavily around his head.

"Are _you_ okay?", Lilian responded. "You looked horrible back there!"

Randy wanted to respond, but noticed his brother and Batista slugging it out in the middle of the ring.

"One second, babe." Randy gave Lilian a quick kiss on the cheek and joined his brother in the ring. Matt was holding his own against his former mentor despite the beating he took earlier. Batista tried to clothesline Matt down, but Orton ducked and leveled the Animal with one of his own. Dave was quick to get up, however, leaving both Ortons little time to plan.

But that one moment was more than enough. As Batista turned around, the brothers leapt into the air and brought the madman down with a double RKO. Even Lilian got involved; she slid two steel chairs into the ring. Matt positioned one under Batista's head and Randy readied the other chair. Lifting it up in the air, the older Orton slammed it down onto Batista's cranium, satisfying the crowd with a deserved con-chair-to. Matt and Randy rolled Batista out of the ring, much to the pleasure of the fans. Randy called for a microphone and Lilian was only happy to oblige. Breathing hard and still stumbling a bit, Orton started to speak.

"I think we still owe the fans something. You up for it?"

Matt was about to respond when Eric Bischoff stumbled back to his feet and grabbed the microphone from Randy.

"Wait … hold on … I have something else to announce. In two weeks … we will have a match for the World Heavyweight Championship … Batista versus the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels!"

Both Ortons were satisfied with this match, knowing that Shawn would finish the job.

"Guys … you don't have to do this right now. I can move the match to next week and … and you guys will be in better shape."

"With all due respect, Mr. Bischoff", Matthew interjected, "I think the fans want this match right here, right now. And who are we to disappoint them?"

Shawn Michaels himself started to walk down to the ring, carrying Matt's Intercontinental title with him. Before getting into the ring, HBK looked at the fallen Batista and shook his head. Shawn gave the belt to a graciously accepting Matthew, who then held it up in the air.

Lilian didn't waste any time. "The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and it is for the Intercontinental Championship!"

While she introduced the two brothers, Shawn remained at ringside to watch Batista very carefully.

"_How could you do something like this?"_, Shawn thought to himself. _"Better yet, what in the world set you off? I looked to you as a comrade. I looked to you as a friend. You're … you're just the same as Hunter: heartless. You don't deserve to be on the same level as we do. Only God knows what's going to happen to you now."_

Shawn's thoughts were interrupted by the bell ringing. Matt and Randy circled around the ring, looking at each other in the eyes, trying to formulate some sort of strategy. Already, the crowd had started the opposing "**Let's go, Randy! … Let's go, Matt!**" chants. Without warning, Matt charged at Randy, only to be shoved into the ropes. When Matt came back on the rebound, Randy attempted an early RKO, but his brother blocked it by shoving Randy back into the ropes. This time, Matt attempted an early MKO, but Randy nearly reversed it into an RKO again, just as in their previous match. The crowd was on fire, intensely cheering this last bit of wrestling.

"It's not going to be easy!", Randy shouted over to his brother.

"It's not supposed to be!", Matt replied as he engaged in a grapple with Randy. Matt got the upper hand and tossed his brother overhead in a belly-to-belly suplex. Randy shot right back up and caught Matt in the same rotating powerslam that put Jeff Hardy through a table.

"1 …"

Randy only got a one-count. Picking his brother up and whipping him to the ropes, Randy bent over, anticipating flipping Matt over with a back body drop. Matt, however, kicked Randy hard in the chest, eliciting a loud moan from the crowd. An even louder moan came when Matt brought Randy's head to the mat with a double-arm DDT.

"1 …"

But Matt got the same result as Randy did earlier. Taking a page out of his brother's playbook, Matt locked in a sleeper hold of his own on Randy. The taller man was falling to his knees, but kept the resistance high. For a moment, it looked as if Matt had the match won, but Randy literally picked his brother up and shoved him back first into the turnbuckle. Matt let go and Randy lifted him up to sit on the top rope. The fans could sense something big coming, with Randy in position for a superplex. Not complying was Matt, who elbowed Randy in the gut a couple of times, then shoved him off, with Randy falling hard on his back.

Matt then mounted the turnbuckle, preparing for his Somersault Leg Drop. Matt flew through the air only to hit canvas, as Randy moved out of the way at the last second. Randy's half of the crowd started to buzz; he was moving in position for the RKO. Matt was still aching from the fall, he didn't see Randy leap up and walked right into his brother's finisher.

"1, 2, …"

But Matt still managed to get a shoulder up. Frustrated, Randy waited patiently for Matt to get back up, readying yet another RKO. Matt blocked it again, however, this time choosing to trip Randy up instead of pushing him to the ropes. Taking his opportunity, the younger Orton applied the Texas Cloverleaf on his brother. Randy screamed out in pain, then in fright as he saw Batista's bulging eyes looking at him from outside the ring.

But everyone could see Shawn tuning up the band. Batista crumpled to the floor yet again, Shawn accomplishing his goal of keeping the Animal from interfering in the match. This gave Randy the confidence and the strength to reach the ropes, forcing his brother to break the hold. Matt allowed Randy time to get up, signaling for the MKO. As Matt put his brother's head under his arm, he was sure he had the match won.

However, Randy reversed the MKO just as before and hit his second RKO of the match.

"1, 2, 3!"

Matt kicked out, but it was too late. In an apparently excited voice, Lilian shouted out, "Here is your winner, and the **NEW** Intercontinental Champion, _**RANDY ORTON!**_"

Yet again, the brothers had traded victories. Randy was now on top, holding the Intercontinental belt proudly. Shawn climbed into the ring along with John, Eric, and Camilla, who had rushed down to the ring as well. Lilian climbed in and Randy gave her a kiss in front of everyone, getting some whistles from people in the crowd. Matt eventually got up and shook the hand of his brother, then embraced him. Soon afterwards, Matt lifted Randy's arm up in victory.

"I guess you're the better Orton tonight."

"I guess you're right."

* * *

_What caused Batista to suddenly turn on the brothers? After Matt and Randy survive the attack from Batista and retaliate with one of their own, how will the Animal strike back? And will Shawn be able to take the World Heavyweight Championship away from Batista at Bad Blood?_

_Hope you liked it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	53. Fortune

_First, Matt will reflect on his short career as a WWE superstar and his little more than a year of knowing his brother. How will his near-death experience change his attitude? Can Randy reinforce the confidence of his only brother? And with only six days until Bad Blood, Bischoff decides to mix things up when he pulls out the RAW Roulette._

_Hope you like it!  
_

* * *

Camilla was sitting in the dining room on Wednesday night, finalizing the guest list for the wedding. With the event only six weeks away, she was truly rushing to get the invitations mailed out. The wedding cake had been taken care of, she had already been fitted for her wedding dress, the décor for the ceremony was ready. Almost everything was prepared … only she wished that her fiancée would be by her side helping her. 

In the game room, John, Eric, and Shawn had been playing on a newly bought and assembled ping-pong table. Cena decided to take on both DX members at once … but was failing miserably. John had lost the last four games in a row, all by very large margins. But as John started the fifth game of the night, he wondered why he didn't have a partner at his side.

Randy was in the backyard, talking to Lilian on the phone. For most of the afternoon, they had talked about favorite foods, old crushes in high school, and even how Randy would goof off with his brother. Taking a pause in the conversation, Randy looked up to Matt's bedroom window, where a single lamp light illuminated the figure of the younger Orton sitting at his desk.

Matt was staring at the picture Randy had first shown him that night in San Antonio. One-year-old Matthew Orton being held by his five-year-old brother, Randy Orton.

"_Randy said he carried this picture with him ever since it happened. Ever since I was taken from the family. The last thing I would want for him is to experience another sixteen years without me. We've known each other for what … sixteen months now? Now I feel like I've known him since the beginning. But Monday night … I never realized how quickly that can come to an end."_

Orton closed his eyes and reared back in his desk chair, remembering what he had seen that night. Matt wasn't one to believe in out-of-body experiences, but he distinctly remembered what happened to him when he was supposedly unconscious. Shawn was praying, Cena had his hands on his head in shock, Camilla was crying in Eric's arms, and Randy was giving him CPR. Matt could even see his own lifeless body, the bruises and red marks all over his neck, and the … the eerie look on his face.

"_Why was I given that viewpoint? There's gotta be some reason."_ Matt looked out of the window up into the stars. _"Why? Why did you do that?"_

There was a knock at the door. Matt didn't know why the person just didn't come in; the door was rarely, if ever, locked. Not saying a word, Matt just kept looking at the picture in his shaking hands.

"_Why do I feel so defenseless? Why do I feel so helpless? I mean, I felt perfectly fine after we took Batista down last night. Otherwise, I wouldn't have decided to have the match with Randy. It's not like I don't have people watching my back. John's there … Eric and Shawn are there … and of course Randy and Camilla are there."_ Matt suddenly slammed his fist down onto the desk in frustration. _"But why do I feel so damn alone?"_

"_You're not alone."_

Matt looked up towards the door. It was still closed, but Matt now knew that Randy was standing behind it. Again, Matt wasn't superstitious, but lately it seemed as if he and his brother could communicate without speaking. This freaked the younger Orton out a bit, but he had been more and more accepting of this gift. Perhaps it was just a by-product of the creation of the strong bond between them. Not able to hide anymore, Matt opened his bedroom door.

"You okay?", a concerned brother asked. "You haven't really spoken much at all today."

"_You_ try almost dying and get back to me on how you feel", Matt replied bitterly, turning his back to Randy and sitting down on the bed.

"I didn't mean to …"

"… I know you didn't. I'm just a tad bit frustrated right now. I don't know whether I should be scared or angry right now."

"I wouldn't blame you for being both. Don't worry; we'll give Batista back what he deserves. He already got part of it last night."

"That I'm not worried about. Its just … that period of time from when I woke up to when we saved Lilian was the worst of my life. My whole body was in shock, mentally _and_ physically. I couldn't think; I couldn't breathe; I couldn't move … I … I just felt so empty inside."

"But look at what revitalized you! Who knows what might have happened to Lilian if you didn't help me. You aren't empty inside, Matt. All of us are here for you! Like I said earlier, you're not alone."

Matt somberly looked down at the floor, contemplating what he could say next.

"What would have happened to you if I had died?"

Randy looked at his little brother in shock. "Why … why the _hell_ would you ask me that kind of a question?"

"Just answer me this once. What would you have done if I had died?"

Randy hesitated at first, but then retreated deep into thought. "I … I don't really know. I don't ever think about it. I don't _ever_ want to think about something like that. But … I … I guess … I guess I would go with you."

"Go with me? What are you saying?"

"If you had died, Matt, I would take myself with you."

"You mean … you would _kill yourself?!_" Matt sat there wide-eyed at his brother, who promptly explained his words.

"Do you remember when I told you how happy I was when you were born? It was because I had a little brother. Someone to look up to me. Someone I could protect from bullies. Someone that I could feel responsible for."

"Does that mean you felt responsible when … when I was taken away?"

"I took on _all_ the responsibility. I was the one who suggested that Dad and I sleep in a separate tent."

Matt sighed heavily, finally learning of the reason why Randy was emotional on the subject.

"I felt like I had been the reason. I never told Mom or Pop. For sixteen years, I carried the heaviest guilt with me. That's part of the reason I became a bully myself. I had become something that I vowed to protect you from. I don't know … call it some sort of reaction to you disappearing. For the longest time, I had held out hope. I always considered that you were out there somewhere. But when I turned eighteen, I started to realize that you may have been dead the day you disappeared." Randy hesitated before continuing. "It was then when I thought of suicide. The very next day after I turned eighteen, I almost decided to jump in front of a moving car."

Matt felt like he had been punched in the stomach. "You … you _what?!_ All because of me?!"

"You didn't have anything to do with it directly, don't get me wrong. It was just … the lack of you being there. It was devastating. Then I talked to the high school counselors and they kept saying that there was very little chance of you being alive. But they reassured me that, even though there was very little chance, there still was _a_ chance. A chance that I could see you again one day."

Matt's jaw was on the ground, him not knowing how to react.

"Is that what made you change your mind?"

"Ultimately … yes. That day standing on the street I promised myself that I wouldn't _ever_ give up hope." Randy put an arm around Matt's shoulder. "And look what that got me."

It was as if the slate was wiped clean. The brothers felt like new people. Both of them were no longer angry, sad, or depressed; rather, Randy and Matt were now confident, happy, and calm.

"Whatever happens in the future happens. Nothing lasts forever", Randy commented. "But as long as I've got my little brother, I'm going to live just as if we had known each other since the beginning. No more of this worrying. No more of this crying bullcrap. I'm twenty two. You're eighteen. We can get through this without become babies again."

Today was the day. Today was the day that Randy finally erased that notion from his mind, and Matt couldn't be any happier.

"You know what would really make this day better?", asked Randy.

"What?"

"You and me should be World Tag Team Champions."

Matt's face lit up like the family Christmas tree in December. "You … you really think so? You're ready to take on something like that? What about the Intercontinental title?"

Randy thought about the belt sitting on the dresser in his room and sighed. "I don't want it anymore. I feel like those tag belts are what we need to define us as brothers. We've had a few tag matches before, and we've done fairly well, but once we grab those titles, we'll be a force to reckon with."

The younger Orton chuckled. "I can't help but see the parallels between us and the Hardys."

"The difference between us and those pieces of crap is that we're actually good as singles wrestlers."

"So … how are we going to have this switch between you and Cena?"

"Well, I figure we continue kicking ass like we are now … then once you two lose the belts, we'll tag up and go after them."

"What about John? He'll be a little confused."

"I think you'll have to have a talk with him. I think if you just tell him that I'm ready to move to the tag division, I think he'll step up and go after the Intercontinental strap. Cena's not that bad of a singles wrestler himself."

Matt thought that was a bit of an understatement. "If Cena had stayed on Smackdown, he would have been the United States Champion, if not the WWE Champion by now."

"Why do you think he likes tagging with you so much?"

"I don't know", Matt lied, not wanting to go through all the details. "I think its just that I gained his respect in that match on Smackdown. Listen, let's go downstairs. I need to catch up on some things."

Randy was a little surprised at the sudden change in subject, but shrugged it off as he followed his brother down to the first floor. Randy joined Cena on his team at the ping-pong table and Matt finished arranging the guest list with Camilla.

"Are you okay now?", asked a concerned fiancée. "You hadn't come out of your room since we got back."

"I'm fine now. Randy and I had a little talk and now all our problems are solved."

"What'd you talk to him about?"

"He told me how much he needs me in this world."

Camilla laughed and shook her head. "More brotherly bonding crap that I probably couldn't understand?"

"Well … I wouldn't call it_ crap_, but yeah … something like that." Eager to change the subject, Matt asked a question. "Everything's ready now. Are you excited about the wedding?"

Orton got promptly smacked on the back of the head.

"What a stupid question! Of course I am! I oughta make you tap out again."

Sighing, Matt was a little fed up with Camilla bringing that moment up. "Oh please! That was just a one time thing. Do you _really_ think you can do it again? Huh?"

Bad choice of words. Camilla shoved Matt out of his chair and quickly applied Matt's own submission finisher, the Texas Cloverleaf, on him. The pain on Orton's back was unbearable, but he refused to tap out. Instead, he grabbed the legs of a nearby chair and used the leverage gained to wriggle out of the hold. Immediately and without thought, Camilla wrapped her arm around Matt's neck and squeezed tightly.

"**Aghhhh!!!! Camilla! My neck!**"

But she didn't let go. Matt quickly learned that pissing off his fiancée wasn't an advisable thing to do and reluctantly tapped out. Grabbing his neck in pain, Matt got up and was immediately … _embraced_ by Camilla. She reached up, grabbed his face, and brought him down in an unexpected, passionate kiss. After what seemed like an hour, the two separated, faces red and sweating a little bit.

"You know … once I get you in bed on our honeymoon", Camilla said seductively, "I'm going to make you tap out _all night long_."

Matt's cheeks turned a deeper shade of red, but quickly pushed his naïveté aside as he pulled Camilla in for his own kiss. She was a little surprised, but welcomed Matt's new boldness.

"… do we _really_ have to wait six more weeks?", Camilla asked coyly.

"Yes", Matt replied, much to Camilla's chagrin. "Consider it a test of our love. Besides, I guarantee you, the wait will be _worth it_."

The future Mrs. Orton had the biggest smile on her face. "Who are you and what have you done with Matthew?" Matt gave Camilla one last kiss before leaving the room to get something to drink from the kitchen. However, Orton jumped just as he closed the fridge, seeing his brother's face unexpectedly.

"That came naturally, didn't it?"

"What came naturally?"

"What you said in there to Camilla."

"You were _listening?_", Matt asked, surprised.

"And watching."

The younger Orton punched his brother in the shoulder. "Pervert."

"But that came naturally, right?"

Despite still being angered, Matt realized that his brother was correct. "Yeah … yeah, it did. It really did!"

Randy put an arm around Matt's shoulder and walked him out the room. "If I had been with you growing up, you would have been one hell of a ladies' man."

* * *

DX and Evolution were signing autographs outside the arena in Dallas, Texas, just one week away from Bad Blood. Once again, Matt ran into his three friends, Michael, Adrian, and Travis, and reluctantly signed a new hybrid DX/Evolution shirt. 

"That's like … the sixteenth autograph I've given you guys."

"You okay?", asked Adrian. "Your neck still looks pretty beat up."

"I'm fine. They're just bruises. Nothing serious. See you guys after RAW."

Michael, Adrian, and Travis weren't exactly done talking, but Matt wanted to quickly get out of there. They could quickly eat up time and possibly make the whole group late for the night's events. While Randy and John started to unpack everything, Matt started to change into his ring gear. Camilla sat down next to him.

"Think you're ready for tonight?", she asked after reexamining his neck.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be? If I wrestled a match last week, I'm definitely in shape for this week. They could throw _anyone_ at me."

The pyrotechnics could be heard exploding in the arena, along with the intense cheers of the crowd. Bischoff was already in the ring with two buckets of ping-pong balls and something round covered up in a blanket. No one knew what he was up to.

"Next week, we will have our first brand-exclusive pay-per-view, Bad Blood, not too far from here in Houston, Texas. And for a little preview of the matches on Sunday, I'd figure I'd mix up the opponents for singles matches right here on RAW! In one of these buckets, I have the names of the members of D-Generation X and Evolution. In the other, the names of their opponents this Sunday. I'll pull one from each bucket and then spin this…"

Bischoff took the large cloth off the round shaped object, revealing the RAW Roulette.

"On this wheel is a bevy of match types, and our competitors tonight could compete in any sort of match … from battling in a Steel Cage … to even being in a Bra and Panties match!"

Everyone backstage looked at each other simultaneously and shook their heads … seeing grown men out there in that kinda outfit wasn't something they wanted to experience.

"Now, let's get this show on the road. First off, we have …", Bischoff dug around in the first bucket and pulled out a name. "… ah … our new Intercontinental Champion, Randy Orton!"

Randy was a little shocked. He didn't think he had a match this Sunday at all. Looking around, all he saw was shrugs from the other people in the room.

"And he will face … Tommy Dreamer! And now for the Roulette …"

Bischoff gave the wheel a big spin, and Orton looked on patiently as the wheel came to a stop on …

"… a Hardcore match!"

Orton slowly nodded his head and his brother slapped him on the back.

Bischoff continued. "Next we have the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels! Going up against … whoa … the Undertaker! … in a … Lumberjack match!"

Eric gave out a loud cheer and the two DX members exchanged high fives, both eager to see the Deadman go down.

"Moving on … we'll have one half of our World Tag Team Champions, John Cena against … Jeff Hardy! … in a Submission match!"

Randy smiled, realizing who his opponent at Bad Blood would be. John was happy too, knowing that he had the advantage in this sort of match. Hardy didn't have a submission in his arsenal that compared to the STFU.

"Next, the junior member of D-Generation X, Eric Barringer will go up against … Rob Van Dam … in a Tables match!"

Eric looked pumped as ever. But Matt noticed that Randy looked like he had seen a ghost.

"What's up with you?"

"Don't you realize who are the last two names left in those buckets?"

Matt started to think for a little bit, then turned the same shade of pale as his brother.

"And finally … we'll have the other half of the World Tag Team Champions, Matthew Orton against …"

Even Bischoff paused as he realized what this match would turn out to be.

"Um … Matthew Orton will go up against … _gulp_ … Batista!"

Matt took a deep breath, and pumped himself up. No matter what type of match this would be, he had to be focused. He wouldn't let Dave intimidate him. Orton defeated Batista once before, in the gym when Triple H first introduced him to Evolution … there's nothing that could prevent him from doing it again. Meanwhile, Bischoff had spun the Roulette. The whole arena was silent, looking at the wheel as it slowly came to a stop. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler were stunned; they couldn't believe that the wheel landed on what it did.

Bischoff took another anxious gulp before saying …

"… in a **Last Man Standing** match!"

Matt shot up off the bench and started to snarl. It would take no less than bringing out the animal in himself to get through this.

* * *

_Oh boy. Randy and Matt thought they had put this all behind them, but then this comes up. Can Matt pull off an upset and take down the man who nearly killed him?_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	54. Vendetta

_Five big matches were made by the luck of the draw for the last RAW before Bad Blood, with the biggest being Matthew Orton against his former mentor, Batista, in a Last Man Standing match. Can Matt bring home the bacon against the Animal or will Batista steamroll over the man he has the most hatred for? And how will this all affect the pay-per-view on Sunday?_

_And by the way, anyone else excited for Unforgiven this Sunday? Heh … I think you know why I am. Here we go!_

* * *

Matt was watching his brother take some pretty bad shots from a hardcore legend. Tommy Dreamer had pretty much had his way with the older Orton, already causing Randy to bleed from both the forehead and the side of the neck. Matt grimaced each time he heard steel against flesh; each instance just made him want to go out there and help Randy. However, he remembered the conversation they had the previous week and decided not to take the easy way out. 

In the ring, Randy was hardly able to stand. He hadn't been able to mount any sort of defense due to Tommy's quick thinking and experience with the various weapons in the ring. Dizzy and with blurred vision, Orton grabbed around for something to defend himself with and cut his hand on something sharp. Upon further inspection, Randy realized that it was a baseball bat covered in barbed wire. Wasting no time, Orton looked up to see Dreamer incoming with another steel chair in hand. First, Randy rammed the blunt end of the bat straight in Dreamer's stomach, knocking the wind out of him temporarily. With the bat in his hands and Tommy doubled over in front of him, Randy did only what he could think of: Orton slammed the barbed wire directly into Dreamer's back.

The crowd was in awe at how quickly this match turned into a pure brawl. Orton repeated his previous action over and over again, the screams of Tommy Dreamer filling the arena. Wanting to end this predicament, Randy set up a chair in the middle of the ring, then waited for Dreamer to get to his feet. The Randy fans in the audience began chanting '**RKO! RKO! RKO!**'. Orton smirked as Tommy fell into position. With one swift leap over the chair, Randy brought Dreamer's face down into the seat of the chair with an RKO.

"1, 2, 3!"

Orton quickly rolled out of the ring, holding the side of his neck. The cut from one of Dreamer's attacks stung like hell, and he immediately headed over to the trainer. His brother was already waiting for him there.

"You okay?"

"Does it look like I am?", Randy said bitterly as he sat down to get looked at. "Have you thought about what _you're_ gonna do?"

Matt didn't expect this question, and didn't really have an answer for his brother. Staring at the wall while Randy was getting bandaged, the younger Orton only managed to say one sentence.

"I guess I'll just try to survive."

Randy looked at Matt like he was a coward. "What are you saying? You've got to go out there and give it all you've got! Otherwise, there's no reason for you to even participate!"

"Don't you think I'm a little scared right now? I'm going up against the man who nearly …"

"I've heard that enough. Now stop it. You weren't scared when the match was announced earlier! You looked like you were about to tear the room up! Toughen up and get yourself ready for this! This might be the biggest match of your career, even bigger than your match at WrestleMania!"

Matt slowed down and reflected back on his history with the Animal. "I never thought I would be going up against Batista … at least in this manner. Maybe in a tournament or something. But like this … I never saw it coming. How was I supposed to foresee Batista turning on us?"

"Listen, I didn't see it coming either. Seeing Batista snap like that was completely out of nowhere. We couldn't have predicted it. _No one_ could have predicted it. We've just got to pick up the pieces and get back what we were doing before: dominating RAW and not letting _anyone_ get the better of us."

Randy's little pep talk invigorated his little brother. After the trainer finished bandaging up Orton, the two brothers stepped outside to have a little pump up session. But before they could start acting like a football team in the huddle before the big game, Shawn, Eric, John, and Camilla started to come down the hall.

"Hey, morons!", Camilla called out. "Quit goofing around and come down to the ring."

"For what? Why are you all going?", Randy replied.

"The Lumberjack match, Orton. I'm up next", replied HBK. "And you all are some of the lumberjacks."

"Some? Who are the others?"

"Take a wild guess."

Randy and Matt looked at each other uneasily. That meant that Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer … and Batista would all be at ringside. This could get ugly quick.

* * *

Breathing easily after Randy's win earlier, Lilian stood up and climbed into the ring to announce the next match. 

"The following contest is a Lumberjack match scheduled for one fall!"

"**Are you ready?**"

Behind the curtain, Shawn led everyone in a short prayer as the DX music played throughout the arena. They had decided to use the same entrance that Eric and Matt used the previous week to show that even though they were split up in singles matches tonight, they moved as one single family unit.

"**BREAK IT DOWN!**"

The Heartbreak Kid lead the family onto the stage, everyone letting Shawn get all the spotlight. As much as Matt wanted to be the main focus for the match, it wasn't his turn at bat yet. Shawn climbed into the ring, doing his usual in-ring cinematics. Matt and Randy stood their ground on the side of the ring closest to the announcer's table, looking at the curtain and waiting for …

**GONG!**

The Undertaker came out, motorcycle-less, surrounded by the four men that the brothers correctly predicted. Naturally, Batista came out with the World Heavyweight Championship belt on his shoulder. Something quickly clicked in Matt's mind. He nudged his brother in the side and asked him a question.

"Think if I beat Batista, I'll be considered for that belt?"

Randy snickered then slapped his brother on the back. "You know, I'm all for you kicking the crap out of Batista, but if you get a shot at that belt before I do, I may just have to kick your ass."

Matt chuckled, glad that Randy could inject some humor into this seemingly bad situation. Lilian quickly climbed out of the ring, kissed Randy on the cheek, and took a seat down near the announcer's table. Taker and Shawn started going at it once the bell rang, but all Matt could focus on was the former senior Evolution member on the opposite side of the ring. To his horror, he saw Batista's eyes wander over to Camilla. Turning to his fiancée, a panicked Orton tried to get her to leave.

"Camilla, you _have_ to get out of here. Go through the crowd and get back to the locker room, now!"

"What?", she queried. "Why? I want to be down here and watch the beating first hand!"

"Batista is looking over here at you and I don't like it. Get back to the locker room!"

"Why should I have to when you're here? You'll protect me, right?"

Matt looked over again at the opposite side of the ring. Batista had the creepiest smirk on his face and pointed straight at Camilla. The younger Orton took this as a threat and his whole body started to shake. Randy saw this and tried to restrain his little brother.

"Wait, Matt! This can wait until later tonight!"

"**NO!**", Matt screamed out, struggling hard to get free, "He's going to go after Camilla! I have to get to him before he gets to her!"

Shawn had tossed Taker out of the ring in front of Eric, who promptly started to explode on the Deadman. Torn between attacking Taker and helping Randy restrain Matt, Cena got in front of his best friend.

"Dude, we won't let anyone get near her, you know that."

This didn't help when Batista started to walk around the side of the ring towards Camilla.

"Randy, **let me go! Let me go, DAMMIT!**"

When Randy still didn't comply, Matt lifted his leg backwards straight into his brother's crotch, causing Randy to lose his grip. The eighteen year old ran straight at Batista and speared him down to the ground. This was the trigger for all hell to break loose, sending RVD, Dreamer, and Hardy over towards Eric, John, and Randy. Shawn used this distraction to tune up the band without Taker hearing him. The Deadman walked right into some Sweet Chin Music, and Shawn picked up the win.

Meanwhile, Batista had regained control and whipped Matt into the steel stairs right in front of Camilla. Camilla looked at Lilian, who promptly gave her the chair she was sitting on. Dave had picked up Matt and looked ready to deliver a Batista Bomb to him on the floor. To try to save him, Camilla lifted the chair up and slammed it as hard as she could to Batista's exposed back. The impact's sound filled the arena, but Batista didn't flinch. He let Matt drop to the ground and turned around slowly, sneering at Camilla. Randy saw this happen and tried to help her, but Jeff Hardy didn't let that happen. Camilla started to step back, steel chair still in hand. She lifted it up to defend herself, but Batista yanked it away and threw it behind him, which hit an incoming HBK.

Camilla backed into the space between the announcer's table and spot where Lilian was sitting. Batista continued to slowly advance on Camilla, who started to shake uncontrollably. Matt was picking himself up at the time, and someone in the crowd kept slapping him on the back, trying to get his attention. Looking up, it was Michael, Adrian, and Travis.

"Dude!", exclaimed Travis. "Go save Camilla!"

At first, Matt was confused. However, upon seeing Batista with both hands throttling Camilla by the throat, Orton used all the strength he had in his body to stand on two feet. Picking up the chair near the fallen Heartbreak Kid, Matt ran over and smashed the chair over Batista's head. Dave let go, leaving Camilla on the floor and coughing. Lilian attended to her while Matt repeatedly smashed the chair over Batista's head. Evolution and DX were starting to get the upper hand now, with HBK back on his feet and the rest of the gang starting to dominate their respective fights.

With Dave on his knees and woozy, Matt took aim at Batista's head once again. However, Randy had managed to break free from Hardy's attack and suddenly brought Batista's face down onto the steel steps in an RKO.

"It's about freakin' time!", screamed out Matt, punching his brother in the shoulder. Taker had been knocked out again, this time by Cena's FU over the top rope and onto the floor. Hardy had been RKOed by Randy and Shawn and Eric took care of the ECW Originals with some more Sweet Chin Music. Using this opportunity to flee, Matt picked up a limp Camilla and held her in his arms. Shawn, Randy, Eric, and John quickly followed Matt up the ramp and back into the locker room.

"Camilla! Camilla, say something!", Matt screamed out at his fiancée, who wasn't moving. "No … no … no, no, no, _no, __**no!**_" The younger Orton started to become hysterical, but felt a tightening around his back. Camilla had wrapped her arms around him.

"Matt …", she said sobbing, "… I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I'm _so_ sorry."

"Don't … it's not your fault. I wasn't there for you when I should have been."

The two kept trying to put the blame on themselves. The remaining men in the room contemplated what had just transpired.

"Guys …", Cena sputtered out, "… this is getting really out of hand."

"He's trying to tear all of us apart … figuratively _and_ literally", Eric commented.

"No kidding", responded an emotionally overwhelmed Randy. "First Matt … now Camilla … Shawn, I don't like your future."

HBK took a deep breath and scratched the back of his head. "I can only put it in God's hands."

Camilla had sit up of her own accord now, but she had the same pattern of marks and bruises around her neck as Matt had received and still had, to a lesser extent.

"I'm fine …", Camilla said weakly. "It hurts, but I'm fine."

Matt smiled slightly and gave her a kiss on the forehead before embracing her. "Good … you're a tough girl … you can take this …"

Camilla smiled. "I may be tough, but I'm human. Just like you."

Orton gave Camilla another tight hug before getting up and putting his ring gear on. Cena had left the room for his Submission match against Jeff Hardy. Randy had poked his head into the bathroom and saw Matt put on his elbow pads. Every muscle in Matt's arms were flexed with anger as he punched a hole in the nearby wall.

"He attacks me … then he attacks my family … Batista, you're a dead man."

* * *

Cena had easily defeated an already beaten up Jeff Hardy. John's STFU kept the match under three minutes. Eric's ordeal with Rob Van Dam took a little longer. With three tables set up in and around the ring, there were several near finishes. However, Barringer scored the win with another round of Sweet Chin Music when Van Dam was on the apron. RVD fell directly through one of the tables at ringside, winning Eric the match. 

Ringside, Lilian almost hesitated to get back into the ring. Even though it was her job, she didn't want to see this match happen, especially after what happened earlier that evening. The fans in the arena could see the worry in her face as she slowly got back into the squared circle.

"The … the following contest is a … Last Man Standing match! The only way to win this match is to keep your opponent on the ground for a ten count. Introducing first …"

'Line in the Sand' filled the arena and Matthew Orton walked out onto the stage to a full wave of applause and cheers. Everyone in the arena, from the referee to the announcers to the people in the nosebleed section, wanted Orton to become the hero of the evening. After all, Orton previously had won a Last Man Standing match at No Way Out.

"… from San Antonio, Texas, weighing in at 239 pounds, he is one half of the World Tag Team Champions, Matthew Orton!"

Matt posed, but without a smile on his face. The pyrotechnics served only to illuminate the total seriousness in his demeanor. He climbed into the ring and posed again on the turnbuckle. When he stepped back down to the canvas, Lilian put the microphone down for a bit.

"Be careful", she whispered to Matt. Orton nodded and looked towards the curtain. Batista's theme filled the arena, along with some of the most intense boos Matt had ever heard … even worse than some for Triple H. Lilian didn't even bother introducing Batista and hurried out of the ring before anything got started. Luckily for her, the action went in the complete and opposite direction.

As Batista walked down to the ring, still woozy from Randy's earlier RKO on the steel steps, Matt stood ready at the ropes nearest to the ramp. Upon Batista getting near, Matt slingshotted himself over the top rope and onto the Animal.

Except Dave caught him in mid-air. With a snarl on his face, Batista rammed Orton's back into the ring apron. It had felt like his back snapped in two; Matt screamed out loudly and immediately crumpled to the floor. The ref had started a count, but Dave lifted Matt back to his feet. Instead of tossing him back into the ring, Batista literally tossed Matt up the ramp, rolling his body the rest of the way up to the stage.

Backstage, everyone was biting their nails as Matt received an increasingly bad beating at the hands of Batista. Suddenly, Matt had an opening and swiftly kicked Batista in the crotch, bringing the Animal down to his knees and earning Orton a small reprieve. Getting up to avoid the count, Matt surveyed his surroundings: they were on top of the stage, dangerously close to the edges, leading to a long drop down to the concrete floor. There were no weapons in immediate sight; Orton would just have to wrestle this man here on the hard metal stage.

Orton strongly kicked Batista in the chest, the sound of his boot against Batista's skin resonating throughout the arena. Matt almost ran over the edge, thinking there were ropes to bounce off of. Out of his element, Matt did the first thing that came to mind: stalking the Animal for an RKO. As Batista got up, Orton sprung into action, but Dave blocked the RKO, pushing Matt away. Matt came dangerously close to falling off the edge, but manage to shift his balance back towards the center of the stage.

Batista was now walking slowly towards Orton. The two started to exchange punches, each getting heavier and harder with each impact. Randy, John, Camilla, Eric, and Shawn were on the edge of their seats as the two opponents inched closer and closer to the edge of the stage. Matt looked behind him for a second to see nothing but concrete.

Bad decision.

Dave caught him with a kick to the stomach and put him in the position for the Batista Bomb. The whole arena, including everyone backstage, collectively held their breath. There was absolutely nothing to cushion the fall. Randy felt his heart sink to his stomach as Dave lifted up Matt in the air.

But Orton didn't let it happen. Sitting on Dave's shoulders, Matt started punching him in the head, trying to get Dave to fall backwards. However, Batista knew better; Matt could feel himself slowly falling forward. Acting quickly, Orton swung his legs over Batista's head, ending up in front of Dave's body. Matt wrapped his arm around Batista's head in a desperate attempt to have something to grab onto to cushion the fall.

"It's an RKO", Randy whispered to himself.

The edge of the stage scraped Matt's back on the way down and Batista's face was rammed straight down into it. Orton landed on his feet, but they buckled from the momentum and Matt hit his head hard against the side of the stage. A stunned referee remembered his job and started the count.

"1 … 2 … 3 … 4 …"

Matt's head was spinning. He had managed to avoid the full impact of the fall, but couldn't stand on his own two feet. Unfortunately, Matt couldn't figure out if his condition came from his throbbing head or … maybe one or _both_ of his ankles were broken.

"… 5 … 6 … "

Orton couldn't hear much; only the sounds of the crowd counting loudly resonated in his head. All else he could do was feel around his surroundings. There were some handles he could grab onto high above him. Immediately, Matt started to pull himself up, but the heaviness of his head impaired his speed.

"… 7 … 8 …"

Looking above, he could see a blur, presumably Batista's head laying out cold on the stage. Matt's own head continued to throb; his vision was blurry and his sense of balance was next to erased. He could feel his right foot flat on the floor. There was no pain, but Matt couldn't be sure of that as a sign that his feet weren't cracked.

"… 9 …"

Using the last of his strength, Matt pulled himself up enough to put his left foot flat on the floor.

"…10!"

Matt thought heard Lilian's voice faintly. He heard footsteps nearby and someone hold his hand in the air. Orton felt the vibrations of more footsteps come from the stage above him. Someone carefully jumped down and stepped in front of his vision. Looking up, Matt saw someone that faintly looked like his brother. More people came down from the stage and Orton felt himself being lifted up and taken backstage. A sense of familiarity came over him as Matt was carried into another room. Some water was splashed on his face, and Matt could now clearly make out his brother's visage.

"I … I told you I would just try to survive …", Matt weakly said to Randy before calmly falling unconscious.

* * *

_Matt wins the Last Man Standing match for the pride of both himself and Camilla, but at what price? What titles will change hands at Bad Blood?_

_Hope you enjoyed reading this one._

_SuspiciousInitials_


	55. Rise Today

_Well … after seeing Unforgiven, I guess I should have seen that coming. I guess I'll have to wait until No Mercy for another shot at seeing Randy with the belt._

_With the status of the junior Orton's injury in question, what will Randy do with his career? And why exactly is he attracted to Lilian? Then, Bad Blood approaches as Sunday creeps nearer and nearer. How will a nervous Eric overcome his anxiety?_

_And I've never seen so many reviews in my life. Thanks to all who reviewed, especially notfromearth7. I promise you guys that this story won't disappoint you._

* * *

Randy sat in Matt's room, watching his little brother sleep. For the last three days, the younger Orton had had trouble walking and keeping his balance; there was little to no doubt in Randy's mind that Matt had some sort of concussion. This made Orton worry the most; it could only take one concussion to end his brother's short career. Although he admired Matt's ferocity in defending Camilla's honor, Randy reluctantly felt that his brother would bow out of the WWE protecting his fiancée. 

The front doorbell rang, but Orton didn't bother to get up. Throughout these last three days, Randy had shuffled all kinds of scenarios around in his mind. Would he stay in the company despite his brother staying at home? Or would Matt's injury be so bad that it would require his presence around 24/7? Would Camilla quit her job too to take care of Matt? What about Eric? John? Shawn?

The sound of footsteps interrupted Randy's thoughts. Watching shadows approach from the hallway, Randy saw Camilla and, to his surprise, Lilian walk into the room. She was carrying a small bag and set it down on the dresser before going over and running her hand over Matt's forehead. Once done, Lilian walked over and kissed Randy.

"How is he?"

Sighing, Randy could only reply, "I hate to admit it, but I think he's done. My little brother sacrificed his career to save his girlfriend."

They both heard a sob from the other end of the room. Camilla had started to cry and Lilian went over to comfort her. Even though Randy had been impacted severely because of Matt's condition, Camilla was even worse. Randy had been saddened and depressed, but Camilla was an absolute blank slate of a person. Her face had been as pale the ashes from a flame that flickered out and she had been completely silent since the incident. The crying she was doing right now was the only sort of emotion she had expressed in quite a while. After Lilian handed a tissue to Camilla, she got up and put a finger on Randy's mouth.

"Shhhhh … don't say things like that! Just watch. Matt will get well and rebound from all this."

Randy chuckled in disbelief. "How can you remain so optimistic in a time like this? Matt's been …", Randy lowered his voice as to not alarm Camilla, "… Matt's just been getting worse and worse every day. It was bad the morning after, but he hasn't made _any_ sort of recovery!" Lilian could see the look of frustration on Randy's face before he punched the desk in front of him in anger.

"Hey … calm down … you _have_ to be optimistic. You can't just go around moping all the time when something like this happens. It'll eat away at your soul. You're only twenty-two. You're too young to start getting gray hair."

Orton heard a snicker from behind him. Everyone turned around and, to their surprise, they saw Matt sitting up in his bed. Both Camilla and Randy sat down and embraced the newly revived family member.

"Jeez guys …", Matt said weakly, "… you're acting as if I just came back from the dead."

"Actually", Randy replied, "that's exactly how I feel."

Smiling, Lilian grabbed the bag she had brought in and joined the group in sitting down.

"Here", she said, giving the bag to Matt. "Randy said you liked these."

Matt and Randy looked at each before looking in the bag. The younger Orton's face immediately brightened up as he realized that a package of marshmallows was in front of him. As Randy watched his brother tear through the white stuff, Lilian leaned over and said, "See? Good as new."

As much as Randy wanted to believe it, there was still a cloud of doubt hovering around his mind.

"Can you get up?", he asked Matt. His brother cautiously swung his feet over to the ground and use the leverage gained from the bedpost to stand up. Taking a deep breath, Matt took one step forward. The swagger previously seen in his step seemed to have disappeared as he took another couple of steps. Camilla's face brightened just as Matt's as she saw her fiancée walk like he normally did. She ran over and nearly knocked him down in a hug.

Randy couldn't believe his eyes. _"It's like he's taking his first steps again …"_ Randy never had the chance to see Matt walk for the first time and it felt like one of the gaps in his childhood had finally been filled.

"How … how's your head?", Randy stuttered. "Any pain?"

Matt hesitated before responding, but did so with a smile. "No … not anymore. My head isn't heavy … I can see properly … I think I'm going to be okay."

The sweat on Randy's brow almost instantly evaporated, leaving him relaxed. What happened was nothing short of a miracle. Looking over at Lilian, Randy was met with a 'I told you so' kind of look. Eyes locking together, Randy felt at peace, as if nothing bad would ever happen to him or his brother. For once, just once in his life, it was like Matthew disappearing never even happened.

"Anyone care to join me in the pool?", Matt shouted out lively, holding his swim trunks in his hand. Randy chuckled, surprised at his brother's vivacity and nodded. Matt ran out of the room, followed by Camilla, who grabbed her own bathing suit and followed her fiancée to the bathroom.

Lilian looked at Randy strangely. "They … change together?"

"No … I think Camilla's just going to mess with Matt. She had that sort of a look on her face. He … she … well … they're a strange couple when it comes to stuff like that. She wants it, he wants to wait." Randy laughed a little. "It makes for some good comedy sometimes."

Randy started to get up, but was met in a hug from Lilian. As he gently put his arms around her, that same feeling of peace and tranquility overcame him as before.

"Thank you."

Lilian pulled back and asked Randy, "Thanks? For what?"

"For being here for us."

Randy hugged Lilian tightly before she had a chance to say anything in return. But she didn't need to in order to understand what Randy had meant. Lilian could sense the change in her boyfriend over time; he had become more gentle and more content. It was as if Randy had a growing glow about him.

"Hey!", came a voice from the hallway. Both Lilian and Randy looked to the doorway to see Matt carrying Camilla on his back. "Are you guys coming or not?", Camilla asked.

"We'll be down there in a second", Randy said with a grin on his face. Shaking his head, he turned back to Lilian and said, "I guess he's on a sugar high from eating all those marshmallows. How in the _world_ is he getting back all the energy so suddenly?"

"It's because he knows he's got a family like us who supports him."

Orton was a little stunned. "Us?"

"Yeah. Us."

Randy's heart thumped tumultuously, full of emotion yet not sure what to do. Luckily for him, a loud splash grabbed their attention. Looking outside the second floor window, the pair saw Cena FUing Matt into the pool, Shawn and Eric looking on from the nearby ring and Camilla looking on from the water. Lilian started to giggle and Randy looked down at her.

"_I've said this to myself twice already … but this time, I really think it's right. She's the one."_

* * *

As everyone joined in the fun at the pool, Matt could sense something different about this way his brother acted; he wasn't as brash as he usually was, and Randy always seemed to melt at the sight of Lilian. Surprisingly, Randy hid his thoughts well; Matt wasn't able to get through to read Randy's mind. Matt's concentration was distracted when Cena crept up behind him and dunked his head down into the water. 

Over at the other end of the pool with his arm around Lilian, Randy snickered as his little brother was gasping for air. Looking up at the sky, the sun illuminated the bright sky, making one of the most beautiful summer days in St. Louis in quite some time. The smell of barbeque filled the air around them; Shawn and Eric were fixing the usual plethora of sausage, ribs, and brisket, Eric filling in the spot usually held by the man the whole family thought they could trust. Splashing around wildly, Matt and John had gotten into a bit of a impromptu match in the pool. Camilla jumped on Matt's back to make things worse, turning it into a handicap match. Randy couldn't help but laugh as he saw his brother's arm violently slap the surface of the water as if he were tapping out. Both John and Camilla backed off, leaving Orton to reach the side of the pool and catch his breath.

"Not … _cough_ … fair … two on one isn't good odds!"

Climbing out of the pool, Matt grabbed a towel and dried himself off, smelling the almost-ready barbeque. For a moment, Randy left Lilian's side and sat next to his brother at the picnic table. Matt could see the huge Cheshire Cat-like grin on Randy's face and queried about its origins.

"What's up with you? You can't be _this_ happy after seeing me recover."

"Well … that's partially the reason. But I want you to hear me out."

"_Uh oh …"_, Matt thought to himself. _"This can't be good."_

"Now …", Randy looked up to make sure Lilian wasn't in earshot, "… I think I've got the right feeling this time. I think … I think I've found the one."

Matt sighed, confirming his initial suspicion. "You've only known her for ... what? Less than a month? And you want to _marry_ her? You can't be serious!"

"I'm one hundred percent serious. I want to pop the question to her."

Shaking his head, Matt put a hand on Randy's shoulder. "Listen to me. Before you answer this question, think on it long and hard. Do … you … _love_ … her?"

Not taking a moment to actually think about, Randy hastily spouted out, "Yes."

Matt promptly punched his brother in the shoulder, realizing that getting a thought-out response from him about such a subject was going to be nigh-impossible.

"Okay … then does Lilian love you?"

"Yes! And I can give proof."

Matt raised an skeptic eyebrow at his brother. "Proof? Show me proof."

"Well, I can't show you proof, but can I tell you about it." After an audible groan from his brother, Randy continued. "When you left the hallway with Camilla on your back, I asked out loud how you had so much energy after what you had gone through."

"I can answer that … I'm an Orton. We've each come back from injuries once before. Why wouldn't I do the same?"

The older brother nervously chuckled and slapped Matt on the back. "I like hearing that … but seriously, hear me out. After I said that, she said 'its because he knows he's got family like us that supports him'."

Matt looked at Randy just as Randy looked at Lilian when the moment happened.

"_Us_?", Matt asked.

"I acted the same way. Matt, I really think this could work. I really think we love each other. I really think …"

"Okay, okay. I get it." The younger Orton sighed, realizing that he was in the same position that Randy was when he told Randy about wanting to marry Camilla. Randy could see the hesitation in Matt's face, waiting for a response.

"…… if you think you love her …… and if you think she loves you …… then go for it. Just time it right, okay? Don't go asking her at a random time. Make sure you're ready and have that moment be special."

Randy smiled and hugged his brother tightly, immensely happy that Matt gave his seal of approval. As a matter of fact, Randy was squeezing Matt so hard, he was losing his breath.

"Randy … I can't breathe …"

By now, everyone had caught wind of what was happening; the sound of Matt trying to wriggle free was spreading throughout the whole backyard. Camilla, who was sitting next to Lilian, leaned over to say something witty, but stopped, seeing the sparkle in Lilian's eyes. She recognized it very easily.

"_Oh boy … I know that look. She's in love."_

* * *

The family went back to Texas; this time, Houston was the destination. Bad Blood was in the city's Compaq Center, and Matt, Eric, and Shawn couldn't be happier to be back in the Lone Star State. Getting to the arena well before the doors opened, the members of D-Generation X went out to the stage and saw the cell being put together. HBK was completely comfortable around the steel; he had been in it quite a number of times in his career. Barringer, on the other hand, was shaking. His insides were as soft as melted ice cream and his bones felt like that as well. 

"Hey, calm down", Shawn said. "It's not that bad once you get in there."

"Thanks", Eric shot back sarcastically. "That _really_ helps. How the hell am I supposed to even step in there? Much less against Taker?!"

"Wait a minute. Don't go back to using Taker as a crutch. You're over that now. You'll just have to take a page from Matt's book. Let … yourself … go. Don't hold back. Give that match one hundred and fifty percent. Use all the weapons you have to. Make Taker _tap out_. Matt took out Kane's knee and slapped on the Texas Cloverleaf. All you have to do is focus just as he did. Focus on one either his neck or his back and attack it without mercy. Then use your Camel Clutch and … bam. You've got the match."

"Easier said than done."

A frustrated HBK snapped right back. "Barringer, if you don't have any confidence in yourself, you're not going to have even a sliver of a chance of winning. I've been in that same cell with Taker … I've …"

"You had Kane to help you. He gave Taker a tombstone! You picked up a cheap win! **You can't say anything**!"

_SLAP!_

Shawn had smacked Eric across the face, knocking Barringer down to one knee. HBK promptly turned around and went back through the curtain towards the locker room. At that moment, Matt was jogging around the backstage area, warming up for his match tonight. He saw Shawn pass by him and greeted the Heartbreak Kid, but received no response. Shrugging, Matt continued to jog and went beyond the curtain, where he ran into an emerging Eric.

"**WATCH IT!**", yelled an angry Barringer.

"Whoa … what's the matter with you?"

Instead of responding with a sentence, Eric grabbed Matt by the collar of his shirt and slammed him up against a nearby wall. Matt looked shocked at his best friend, who bore a striking resemblance to Batista after he snapped. Orton's eyes turned a pale shade of white and all the color drained from his face in an instant. Seeing this, Eric released his grip, letting Orton fall down to the ground. Matt got up cautiously, eyeing who he thought was his best friend, ready to defend himself if necessary. Barringer turned around and put his head in his hands.

"I'm … I'm sorry. I haven't had that great of a day so far."

Matt took a large, deep breath before continuing. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but … what the hell happened?"

"Shawn … he was trying to give me advice and I just shoved it back in his face. I called him a fake, basically. Then he slapped me. I snapped. You were the first person I saw and … _god_, I'm sorry."

Orton was still in awe of what had just happened "What were you talking about?", he asked timidly.

"That." Eric pointed beyond the curtain. Matt could only surmise that he was talking about the cell.

"Why are you scared?"

"I'm scared of failing. I'm scared of failing in that cell where you've succeeded."

Matt sighed resignedly. "Why are you comparing yourself to me? I'm not the big man on campus!"

"You were when we were in high school! You beat me at everything! You beat me at football, swimming, weightlifting …"

"You forget that you beat me here in the ring _twice!_"

"What about at No Way …"

"That doesn't count! You've beaten me _twice_ cleanly, with no help, no weapons, no nothing! If you can do that, you can go in that cage and kick the Undertaker's ass!"

Eric looked at his best friend and saw someone else. In the years they had known each other, Matt was always the confident and cocky one. Not to the point to where it strained their friendship, but Eric was always on the losing end of a contest or a conversation. Now, the man in front of him was a complete opposite of what he knew in high school. Orton was now selfless. He would give or do anything to see any member of his family succeed. Matt did that to Randy, Matt did that to Camilla, Matt did that to John … and there would be no doubt that Matt would do it to Eric.

"I kicked Kane's big red rear-end at WrestleMania. There's no reason to think that you can't do the same. And don't even _think_ about comparing yourself to me again. As far as I'm concerned, you're an Orton. You're on the same level as me and my brother. Like I say to Cena, you might as well _be_ my brother. We're one big family, and don't forget that. It's only a matter of time before you pick up your first belt. It could be against me and Cena. It could be against Randy. Hell, and if Shawn doesn't take down Batista, you'd be the perfect man for the job."

Barringer's confidence level had skyrocketed. He couldn't believe that Matt just suggested that he would be a great contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. The adrenaline started to course through his body, which propelled him back beyond the curtain. Staring at the now complete cell, Eric pointed at it and yelled …

"**Taker! I know you can hear me! Hell in a Cell may be your domain, but I'm going to make it my own! Tonight is my night! Eric Barringer becomes a new man right there in that steel cell! My time is now!**"

A curious Cena poked his head through the curtain.

"Yo, Eric! Don't be stealin' my line!"

Barringer, Orton, and Cena exchanged laughter and headed back towards the locker room. Matt and John were going to warm-up some more, but Eric had something more important to do: he had to apologize to Shawn.

* * *

_It's finally here! Bad Blood takes place next chapter, with Matt, John, Eric, Randy, and Shawn all in action. Will Evolution hold on to the World Tag Team and Intercontinental Championships? Can Eric force the Undertaker to burn in his light? And can HBK pull off an upset and take the World Heavyweight Championship away from the crazed Animal?_

_The next chapter will be action-packed! Hope you liked this one and I hope you look forward to the next!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	56. Fortification

_You thought I forget about this, didn't you? Classes have __**really**__ wrecked my writing schedule. Ugh._

_There's more than titles on the line tonight. Family. Honor. Revenge. Will Bad Blood be spilled?_

_Warning: this one's a little lengthy. Hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

Through the magic of their parents' fat wallets, Michael, Adrian, and Travis were once again in the front row. However, their demeanors weren't as excited and colorful as they normally were. The trio sat in their seats, holding their popcorn buckets and drinks … shaking. Little splashes of coke and kernels were starting to cover the ground at their feet. A combination of trepidation and rage filled the hearts of the three teenagers, both of which were directed at Dave Batista. Even though they hadn't been in close contact with Matt and Camilla for quite a while, they still felt like they had a responsibility to take out someone who mercilessly attack their friends. But with a vindictive freak in Batista in front of them, the group felt powerless to do anything. The steel cell hanging above the ring didn't do anything to help. They could even see the hesitation in Lilian's face as she climbed into the ring, her eyes fixated on the same conglomeration of chain link fences above her. 

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall and it is for the World Tag Team Championship!"

Some life was pumped back into the crowd as they realized who would be coming out soon. Rob Van Dam's music filled the arena, getting only a minimal amount of cheers. The ECW Originals hadn't exactly been fan favorites as of late; it seemed as if any team that ran into the tag champs became disliked. Even Tommy Dreamer, normally a major draw for the fans, couldn't help boost the volume of RVD's signature chant.

The one thing that did get the crowd riled up was the guitar riff that signaled the entrance of Matt and John. Michael, Adrian, and Travis led the cheering as the pair walked onto the stage. Orton's face was blank as he posed to his pyro; a feeling of complete and total anger had taken control of his personality. Matt desperately wanted to get his hands on Batista again, but RVD and Dreamer would have to do. The tag belts shining around their waists, Orton and Cena stepped into the ring. Lilian gave a little nod to the pair before stepping outside. Matt's eyes wandered down to a portion of chain hanging from John's pocket.

"What the hell did you bring that down here for?"

"A contingency plan, bro. In case something goes wrong."

"What?! Are you crazy? You would get us disqualified rather than win the match?"

Cena turned to Matt and put a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, yo. It's not like we're going to need to use it!"

"Then why …" Matt didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. John had yanked both belts off their waists and gave them to the referee before stepping out onto the apron. Focusing back on the match, Matt tensed all the muscles in his body before looking over at his opponents. Both Van Dam and Dreamer could sense the anger radiating from Matt; it was as if the mat underneath him started to melt. After a short moment of bickering between the two, Dreamer reluctantly agreed to start the match.

And then, the bell rang.

Orton immediately charged at Dreamer, knocking him down with a clothesline that everyone within a 2-mile radius could hear. When Dreamer got back up, Matt met him with a flurry of martial arts-style kicks and punches, landing everywhere from the back of Tommy's head to his ankles. Cena was a bit surprised at his partner's new antics, surmising that it was only to show up Van Dam's attack style. With an almost sadistic grin on his face, Matt picked up Dreamer and tossed him hard to the ropes. The ECW Original was met with a classic Orton dropkick, much to Randy's delight backstage. Matt picked Dreamer back up once again and whipped him to the opposite side of the ring. However, Van Dam was able to slap Dreamer on the back, which counted as a tag. This distracted Matt just enough for Dreamer to lift a knee straight into Matt's midsection. Orton was sent to his knees, which set Tommy up perfectly to bring Matt's head straight down into the mat with a DDT.

RVD rolled Matt over and set him close to the ropes, then signaled to the crowd for Rolling Thunder. Cena cringed as he saw RVD's entire weight come crashing down on Matt's chest, blowing the wind further out of him.

"1, 2, …"

Matt didn't have the wherewithal to kick out, but wisely put his foot on the nearby bottom rope. The crowd cheered at Orton's last-ditch effort to save himself. A frustrated Van Dam peeled Matt off the mat. However, with a rush of adrenaline, Orton grabbed RVD and tossed him across the ring with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Both men were now lifeless on the floor and the referee started his ten-count. Cena's hands started to gravitate to the chain in his pocket, but remembered the look Matt gave him before the match. Desperate, John looked around, spied Michael, Adrian, and Travis, and came up with a plan. Dropping to the floor, Cena whispered something over to the trio. When John got back onto the apron, he started to clap. Simultaneously, Michael, Adrian, and Travis started a "**Let's go, Matt!**" chant.

The sheer volume of the arena caught Matt's attention around the count of six. Steadily, Orton started to crawl over to his partner. With his hand mere inches from getting the tag, Matt felt something grab onto his leg. RVD had gotten to his feet and yanked Matt back into the center of the ring. Much to Cena's shock and disgust, Van Dam applied Cena's own STFU on Orton. The hope and joy dropped like bricks off of Cena's face, taking the theft of his move as a shot to his pride. John started to climb into the ring, but was met with resistance by the referee, threatening disqualification.

"Roll onto your side! Do something!", John screamed desperately.

Not wanting John to resort to the chain, Matt seemed to take heed of Cena's advice and pushed hard with one hand, shifting both his and RVD's weight to the side. Orton freed his leg from the hold and started to stand up, evidence of total body strain taking over him. Using the ropes to gain leverage, Matt finally got close enough to John to make the tag. Matt shifted RVD off his back and onto his shoulders, prompting the crowd to think Orton might deliver an FU. However, Matt instead lifted RVD up and over his head, slamming Van Dam's sternum against his knee. Almost instantly, Cena slingshotted himself up and over the ropes on a leg drop across RVD's back. Out of the corner of his eye, Orton saw Dreamer getting something from ringside. Not wanting the match to get out of hand, Matt rolled out of the ring towards Tommy.

Meanwhile, Cena had locked in the STFU, showing RVD how to properly apply the hold. Outside the ring, Matt and Tommy were struggling for control of a steel chair. With the referee's attention turned towards John and RVD, Matt took the easy way out. Kicking Dreamer in the stomach, Tommy quickly dropped the chair to the ground. Looking back inside the ring, Matt could see Van Dam's hand poised ready to tap out. With the chair now down on the floor, Orton could only think of one thing. Just as RVD tapped out, Matt brought Dreamer down onto the chair with a swift RKO.

"Here are your winners, and _**still**_ the World Tag Team Champions, Matthew Orton and John Cena!", Lilian proudly said into the microphone.

The referee handed the champs their belts, and Cena went up to the turnbuckle to show it off.

"**The champs are here!**", he shouted out, holding his championship belt up in the air. Matt climbed up to the adjacent turnbuckle to do the same, but he couldn't help but feel conflicted about John bringing the chain down to the ring.

* * *

Randy was on his way out to the ring; it was his turn up next. Although he would have much preferred to go up against Matt Hardy, Jeff would have to do. Turning a corner, he saw his brother and John coming down the hall. In an effort to show him up, Randy took the Intercontinental belt off his waist and hoisted it onto his shoulder. Matt rolled his eyes and hoisted his own belt onto his shoulder. The two Ortons stared each other down for a while, and Cena stepped in between the two before something got started.

"Whoa, hold on, guys. Don't go …"

"I'm not stupid, John", answered Matt. "I wouldn't kick my brother's ass before he has to defend his title."

"You know I'm going to take you down once we get home Tuesday", Randy replied.

John sighed, a little irritated at the brothers being … well … brothers. Pushing Matt back, Cena urged the younger Orton to back off and let his brother get to the ring. Matt stepped away, although not breaking eye contact with Randy. As Randy walked away, Cena held Matt back, sensing that Orton would double back and possibly tackle his older brother down.

"You two gotta relax, dawg", John stated. "Know when to joke around. Tonight's not a good night."

"Chill, John. I wouldn't jeopardize Randy's chances of losing tonight … unless he was facing me. _Maybe_ then would I bash his head in."

John rolled his eyes and the tag champs walked back to the locker room, where they were greeted and congratulated by the rest of the group. Shawn and Camilla were ecstatic and proud of the pair, but a plain-faced Eric was in the corner. Looking over at his best friend, Matt almost went over to try to encourage him again. HBK put a hand on Matt's shoulder and shook his head.

"Don't bother. He's concentrating. He'll need all the space he can get."

"Did he say anything to you when we came back earlier?"

"Yeah. He nearly broke down crying. Kid couldn't stop telling me he was sorry."

Matt cracked a small smile. He knew how much Eric valued his friendship with HBK and realized how important it was to him that the effects of his outburst before the pay-per-view started be rectified. The echoes of 'Line in the Sand' reverberated throughout the building, and Matt, John, Shawn, and Camilla turned their attention to the monitor. Randy was making his grand entrance in the usual Orton fashion: full of confidence. Lilian proudly introduced him to the crowd before Randy started to pace slowly down the ramp. Orton looked at his opponent already in the ring, carefully surveying possible strategies. However, the realization that Torrie Wilson was at ringside distracted Randy.

"_What the hell …"_, Randy questioned. _"What does she think she's doing?"_ Randy could only surmise that she was going to try to aid Hardy in some sort of way. _"That's not happening. I'm not losing this belt to that piece of crap."_

Climbing in the ring and handing the Intercontinental belt over to the referee, Orton never took his eyes off Jeff. Hardy could feel Randy's anger just as Tommy Dreamer did from Matt. When the bell rang, it was Hardy who made the first move, charging at Randy like a crazed bull in a coliseum. Orton successfully dodged the charge as if he were a matador. With a simple flick of his hand and a sly grin on his face, Randy taunted Jeff to try it again. Hardy flew one more at Orton, but was met with a vicious European uppercut to the jaw. Jeff stumbled back into the ropes to recover, but only to walk into a elevated spinebuster by Orton. Taking a second to gloat, Randy posed to the crowd, receiving cheers and applause from every corner of the arena.

Turning his attention back to the match, Randy nearly let himself get whacked in the head by a roundhouse kick. Jeff used this opportunity to snap back with another kick, this time aiming for the stomach. Using Randy's downward momentum, Jeff used a simple falling jawbreaker to knock Orton off his high perch. Backing Randy into a corner, he mounted the turnbuckle and started punching Orton in the head multiple times. Only a faint count could be heard from the crowd, and before long, the referee had forced Jeff to back off. Hardy whipped Randy to the opposite turnbuckle, but was reversed. Orton took his chance and leaped, smashing Hardy's body with a splash.

A still groggy Randy adjusted his jaw before laying into Jeff's face with some right hands. Knocking Hardy down to the ground, Orton circled his opponent's body like a vulture, stomping on a random appendage every few seconds. Suddenly, Randy dropped to the ground in a cat-like stance; the audience knew what was coming and responded with a round of roaring applause. Orton readied the RKO as Jeff started to come to his feet. However, Torrie started to climb up onto the apron, distracting the referee. Randy looked over at someone getting up from the announcer's area; Lilian had strolled over to where Torrie was and pulled her back down. Wilson stood in confusion on what had just happened before receiving a stern slap in the face. The crack of Lilian's hand against Torrie's cheek resonated throughout the arena, causing the fans to react appropriately. Torrie was knocked to the ground, Lilian gloating above her.

"_That a girl"_, thought Randy before turning around, only to get a kick in the stomach. Jeff grabbed Orton's head and put him in position for the Twist of Fate. Hardy started the motion, but Randy somehow wriggled out of it. When Jeff turned around to try to recover, he walked right into an RKO.

"1, 2, 3!"

"Here is your winner and _**still**_ the Intercontinental Champion, Randy Orton!"

Randy took the belt from the referee and quickly set it on his shoulder; instead of posing like he usually would, Orton hopped out of the ring and wrapped his arms around Lilian. Backstage, Matt smiled, thinking that Randy might pop the question then and there. However, his slumped back against the wall when his brother only kissed his girlfriend and got his hand raised in the air by her.

"_You could have done it then, you know."_

"_I know. But I've got something else planned for that."_

* * *

Thousands of heads were staring straight up in the air as the steel cell that had been hanging from the ceiling slowly started to descend to the ring. It was especially intimidating to the trio sitting ringside; the chain-link cell was coming down mere feet in front of them. Backstage, Eric was staring at the monitor with the same pale face he assumed earlier in the day. As a video package played highlighting the points of the feud between Eric and the Undertaker, Orton was eerily reminded of his own feud with Kane. Matt had wanted desperately to go over and talk to his best friend to try to pump him up, but Shawn refused, citing that Eric would be 'ready when he's ready'. 

"_He'll be fine."_

Matt looked over to his brother, who had just emerged from the bathroom, refreshed after his match.

"_How do you know? He hasn't said a word all afternoon. Eric's probably freaking out over there and …"_

"_He'll … be … fine. Didn't you say he was practically an Orton earlier? Then why should he have a problem? You faced your fear in there against Kane and succeeded. He'll do the same."_

At that moment, Eric got up and grabbed a bottle of water. He went over to the full-body mirror in the corner of the room and looked at himself. Taking a deep breath and making the sign of the cross, Eric opened the water bottle and poured some over his long light-orange hair. Shawn let out an audible chuckle; this little ritual reminded him of Hunter. Looking someone in the eyes for the first time that night, Eric shook hands with HBK. Going over to Camilla, she gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek for good luck. John and Randy both slapped him on the back before Eric stepped in front of Matt.

"Be careful out there", Orton stated. "For the love of god, don't go on top of the cell."

Eric chortled softly and put a hand on the shoulder that Matt had separated. "I think I learned that when I saw what happened to this."

Orton smiled at seeing his friend finally relax. Eric and Matt gave each other a hug and a couple of slaps on the back before Eric turned towards the door and started his way to the ring. With the whole room silent, Eric turned around and said …

"Lighten up, people. You all act like I'm walking to my death bed or something."

Turning back around, Eric slipped off the DX shirt he was wearing and tossed it to the floor. What Matt and Randy saw both surprised them and put a giant smile on their faces: Eric had the same across-the-upper-back tattoo as both Ortons.

Ringside, Lilian hesitated before getting up to announce the match.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is the Hell in a Cell match!"

The sound of the Undertaker's motorcycle filled the arena, but that didn't stop Eric from concentrating on his way to the ring. Taker's theme song only started to fuel his mindset.

"_I have to tear it up out there, but I can't let myself go completely. Taker's not stupid. If I screw up, he'll take advantage immediately."_

When the DX theme song started to play, Eric didn't stop to pose; making a beeline for the ring, he entered the cell, slid into the ring, and gave Taker one hell of an uppercut. The bell rang to officially start the match, switching Eric's 'attack mode' on. Mirroring the best of what Taker himself could offer, Eric let loose with an incredible array of lefts and rights. The fans thought for a moment that they were watching a boxing match. Barringer had managed to push Taker back into a corner, continuing his barrage of punches, hitting Taker in the face, stomach, and neck. The Deadman, however, managed to power his way out of the corner and reverse their positions; Eric was the one now taking punch after punch. With Barringer dizzy in the corner, Taker backed up all the way to the opposite side and caught Eric with a huge body splash.

Eric yelled out, a terrible pain in his chest taking control of his body. Falling to his knees, Barringer tried to get his focus back on the match, but the throbbing ache took his attention once again. Looking up, Eric saw Taker's boot going right for his chest and rolled to the side. Using all his strength, Barringer tried clotheslining the Deadman over the top rope. Initially failing, Eric ran to the opposite ropes, gained as much momentum as he could, and tried again. Taker stayed in the ring a second time and smiled at Barringer's attempts, wrapping his hand around Eric's neck. The next thing Eric knew, he was being tossed over the top rope, his back slamming against the steel cell.

Eric felt a sharpness pierce the skin on his back as he fell, and there was no doubt to him that he was now bleeding. Lucky for him, Eric managed to land on his feet. Taking the few precious moments he had, Eric shot his hand under the ring and felt around for anything. However, Taker grabbed Eric by the hair and pulled straight up. Barringer managed to land his hand around something and swung it up and over his head, smacking Taker hard in the cranium. The Deadman's grip on his hair was no more.

Barringer had a lead pipe in his hand. Something in his head clicked.

Eric climbed into the ring, a couple of crimson streaks going down his back. Acting like he was playing a game of Whack-a-Mole, he let loose on the Undertaker's lower back, repeatedly smashing the blunt object over Taker's spine. Once Taker was flat on the mat, Eric dropped back to the floor and pulled Taker by _his_ hair down to ringside. Holding the Deadman's head to the cell wall, Barringer grinded Taker's forehead against the steel, wanting the same red liquid to run down Taker's face as was his own back.

But an elbow to Eric's stomach stopped the assault. Taker was getting back to his feet and kept his retaliatory attacks at a steady pace. Once Eric was stunned and disoriented, Undertaker picked up Barringer and rammed him face first into the steel. The whole cell shook violently, causing everyone in the immediate vicinity to jump. Lilian happened to be sitting right in front of where Eric hit the cell, causing her to shriek. Eric's forehead now had blood running down it, matching the cut on Taker's own head. Barringer was tossed like a rag doll back into the ring, and Taker made the motion for the Last Ride. The group backstage watched in dismay as Eric was lifted into the air.

But Taker's own move backfired. The Deadman had lifted Eric so high, he was able to grab the top of the cage. As Taker tried to slam Eric to the canvas, he encountered the resistance of the whole cell. Looking up, Eric managed to wriggle his leg out from around Taker's head and forcefully kicked him hard square in the jaw, sending Taker face first down to the canvas. Now hanging dangerously from the top, Eric managed to use all of his upper body strength to make it to the side of the cage and climb down to the floor. Making use of the lead pipe on the floor, Barringer slid back into the ring and quickly slapped on the Camel Clutch, using the pipe to lift under Taker's throat. The veins on Barringer's neck nearly popped out; Eric was using all the energy left in his battered visage to make Taker tap out.

But Taker wasn't tapping out. In fact, Taker wasn't doing anything at all. After a while, Eric let go and flipped his opponent on his back.

"1, 2, 3!"

A relieved Lilian announced, "Here is your winner, Eric Barringer!"

While the Evolution/DX group celebrated, another person in another section backstage just growled at the monitor. Bursting down the door in front of him, the World Heavyweight Champion took his belt and started his way to the ring.

A short while later and Eric was patched up by the trainer and was now mere steps away from the locker room. When he opened the door, Barringer was nearly knocked down by his ecstatic best friend.

"Dude!", Matt screamed out. "You were freakin' awesome! You beat Taker down like a piñata!"

"When did you get that tat, man?", asked Randy. "We never noticed."

"I thought I might surprise you guys. Matt keeps saying that I'm part of the family … so I went out to that shop you were telling me about in St. Louis and I got it."

Both brothers high-fived each other and took Eric to the back of the locker room for a chat. While she watched the three men socialize, Camilla couldn't help but notice a small scowl on Cena's face. And while all of this was going on, HBK slowly slipped out of the room so Eric could enjoy his celebration.

"_If this is what I have to do … it's done."_

* * *

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and it is for the World Heavyweight Championship!"

DX's music played in the arena once again as HBK made his usual entrance. Although Shawn was going up against a sinister opponent as they come, there was absolutely no difference in his demeanor. Getting into the ring, Shawn did the same thing as he usually did. But there was something different about the air around him. Everyone in the arena, including everyone backstage, could sense that Shawn was here for something different than a title. To add confusion, Shawn asked Lilian for a microphone.

The mood was shattered by Batista's blaring theme song. Dave walked down the ramp to the ring and stared down Michaels.

"Why did you do it?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Why did you do what you did to the Ortons, Dave?"

Batista grinned and snatched the microphone from Shawn.

"… Evolution was supposed to be mine. Evolution was supposed to be led by _me_, not that bastard Triple H! Once that little piece of crap Orton got the wheels rolling, I was going to capitalize and take Evolution for myself. _I_ was going to be the leader. _I_ was going to be the headpin. _I_ was going …"

"… to turn into Triple H".

Batista's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. "But you and that kid turned this group into a 'family'. My plan was ruined before it even got off the ground!"

"You were about to become the very man you hated. And now the transformation is complete, Dave. You're no better than the man I call my brother!"

Dave took a sudden step back and slammed the World Heavyweight title belt against Shawn's head. Backstage, Matt and Eric shot to their feet, full of intention to get to the ring and tear Batista apart. But when they opened the door of the locker room, they froze in their tracks.

"What the …", Eric sputtered out. Someone was standing right in front of the door. Upon realizing who it was, both Barringer and Orton looked like they had seen a ghost. The man in front of them picked up the DX shirt that Eric had taken off earlier and put it on. Barringer couldn't believe his eyes. Neither could Matt for that matter. In addition, Randy, John, and Camilla had walked up behind the pair and their jaws instantly fell to the ground.

"You're … you're not supposed to be here!", Randy exclaimed. "I … I … Shawn and I … we took you out on RAW! You're supposed to be out until Surviv …"

"I need to do something I should have done a long time ago." The man paused and looked down at what he was holding in his hand. "And then I'm doing the same to you guys."

Everyone looked at each other as the man turned and walked towards the ring.

"What the hell is going on?!", asked a confused and bewildered Eric.

Back in the ring, Batista was putting a near lifeless Shawn Michaels in position for a Batista Bomb. He had shoved off at least six referees in dragging a table into the ring and setting it up. Shawn was struggling, but to no avail.

But a well recognized guitar riff filled the arena … only it wasn't 'Line in the Sand'.

"_**It's time to play the game … time to play the game!!!"**_

Triple H walked out onto the stage. The man who was supposed to be injured. The man who was supposed to be on the bench for five more months until Survivor Series. Everyone in the arena was confused, but cheered for the Game once they saw that he was wearing a D-Generation X t-shirt.

Shawn was the only one who knew what was going on the entire time.

Batista had let HBK go and watched his former colleague walk down the ramp. Triple H held his trusty sledgehammer in his hand and climbed up and into the ring. Dave didn't let Hunter establish a base and immediately attacked the Game, leveling him with forearm after forearm to the back of the head. But one swipe of the sledgehammer to Batista's stomach put the Animal down on his knees. Shawn had pulled himself up and, to the astonishment of the whole building, started to tune up the band. When Batista got back to his feet, Hunter did the classic DX 'Suck it' taunt and pointed behind Dave. Batista turned around and was met with Sweet Chin Music. The Animal stumbled around, only to receive a kick to the stomach from Triple H. Hunter put Batista in position for the Pedigree, pointed directly at Shawn, and rammed Dave's face into the canvas. Hunter then grabbed the microphone, ran over to Shawn, and helped his friend to his feet.

"This may be too little too late, Shawn … but I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I let …"

"You don't have to go any further. You're my best friend. 'I'm sorry' is all I had to hear."

"I still need to explain myself. I … I always thought that you were the big cheese. Back when we first formed DX, I looked up to you. Then when you got injured and I was left with DX in my hands … I ran with it. I went crazy with power. Sure, we got off on the right foot, but everything got messed up. Then when you came back … and then at SummerSlam in that match … I felt like you wanted to take back what you felt was yours."

Shawn smiled. "You know … you don't have to look up to me. We're on the same level, Hunter. We've always been on the same level. What you _do_ need to do is apologize to the rest of the family back there. If there's one thing I've learned since all of this has taken place … is that family is the only thing that matters. I consider you part of my family. I've always done that. Now you need to get those Orton brothers to accept _you_."

To the delight of the fans, Hunter and Shawn embraced in the middle of the ring over Batista's motionless body. Each man ascended opposite turnbuckles and made the classic 'X' above their heads. Michael, Adrian, and Travis started a 'DX' chant, which the whole crowd instantly picked up. Backstage, the rest of the group was still in shock.

"What the hell is going on?!", Camilla asked, repeating Eric's earlier question.

"I ... I have no earthly idea", answered Eric.

"Wait a minute … what about the title?"

"I think it's safe to say that the match is shot to hell. Dave'll keep the belt."

The locker room door opened to reveal Hunter and Shawn. Randy and Matt shot to the front of the group.

"What the hell makes you think you can just barge back in here and demand that we accept you!", Randy screamed out.

"I'm not … I'm not demanding that …"

Matt stepped in front of Randy and extended his hand to the Game.

"What … what the hell are you doing?", Randy stuttered.

"Any man that saves one of us from a monster like Batista deserves a second chance. And if I'm wrong …", Matt began because of Randy's protest, "… you can tear my head off later."

Hunter uneasily shook Orton's hand.

"If you screw up _one_ time … turn your back on us in _any_ way …"

"You have my word that I won't."

Matt squeezed Hunter's hand tightly. "I've heard that from you before."

"This time I mean it."

* * *

_What does this mean for the future of Evolution and D-Generation X? Who will be chosen to go after Batista's World Heavyweight Championship? Also, with the return of the Game, someone gets pissed off and tries to make life a living hell for the family._

_Please tell me what you think. I had something else planned, but I put this in instead on a whim._

_Hope you enjoyed it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	57. Turnaround

_Is this too good to be true? Is Triple H's change of heart a true indication of his feelings or is he preparing another betrayal? And what will Monday Night RAW bring to the table?_

_Let's find out._

* * *

The pay-per-view had ended. The fans were filing out of the arena. The production crew started to take down the set, changing back to the standard RAW set for tomorrow night. Still in his ring gear, Matt sat in the upper balcony, watching the whole arena change below him. 

"How can you trust him after what he did to us?"

Matt spun around to see his brother standing atop the stairs leading down to the lobby. Randy joined his brother and sat down next to him.

"What in the world are you thinking in giving Triple H another chance?"

Matt couldn't produce an answer straight away. There was no doubt in his mind that, down on the first floor, Hunter was having one hell of a time explaining himself to Eric, John, and Camilla.

"Answer me", Randy sternly questioned, raising his voice.

"I don't know." Matt shot back, sounding frustrated. "I … I just don't know."

"Matt, he tried to put us against each other. He even used a threat against me to blackmail you! Hunter was a lying, arrogant, manipulative, sniveling …"

"I get it already! Just stop it, please!"

The brothers were getting so loud that the crew on the arena floor could hear their conversation.

"Listen, I may have made a mistake. A _big_ mistake. And I'm ready to take the punishment if there is any. I … I thought Triple H changed. He saved Shawn from Batista for crying out loud! Doesn't that count for anything?"

Randy looked down at the concrete in front of him, unsure of what to say.

"I just hope you know what you're doing. Think of what could happen to Eric or Shawn. Think of what could happen to me, you, or John. Matt … think of what could happen to Lilian or Camilla. Don't you remember what he tried to do to Camilla when he was in league with Nash? He nearly smashed her head in with the sledgehammer! What if he tries something like that again, this time on Lilian? I'm not going to **let him**!"

A high-pitched scream filled the arena. Fearing the worst, Randy and Matt looked at each other and bolted down the steps on the spur of the moment. Sometimes leaping down sets of stairs at a time, the brothers made their way down three floors to the locker room. Cena, Barringer, and Michaels were running down towards the room from the opposite side of the hallway.

"_God help me, Matt, if Hunter is in there, I'm going to rip your freaking head off."_

Randy was the one that opened the door, but both Ortons saw something that shocked them. Hunter _was_ in the room, but he was standing over both Camilla and Lilian, his arms outstretched as if shielding the two women. Instead, it was Batista who was poised ready to strike. Hunter's eyes looked at the brothers entering the room, which distracted Batista long enough for Hunter to strike a low blow on the Animal. Randy sprinted towards and tackled Batista down, colliding into a set of lockers. Matt ran to join Hunter in protecting the women as John, Eric, and Shawn finally made it to the room. Dave managed to stumble up and dash past the three incoming men. Randy tried to give chase, but was held back by both John and Eric.

"**Let me go!**", Randy screamed out. "**Let me get my hands on that bastard!**" Cena and Barringer struggled intensely to hold the raging Orton back; Randy's face looked like he had been laying on in the sun for hours. His eyes were burning holes in the wall as he looked to where Batista ran.

"It's not worth it right now!", responded Matt.

The sound of Matt's voice wiped the anger off Randy's face, and it was as if nothing ever happened.

"Let Dave go. He didn't manage to do anything. If … if it weren't for Hunter, Camilla and Lilian would have been hurt."

Randy's eyes instantly met with those of Hunter's. Before, Randy despised the man. From the beginning of Evolution to this very moment, Orton couldn't stand the sight of Triple H. For everything that Hunter did to himself and his brother … for Hunter trying to destroy his _**family**_ … but now, all the previous disdain Randy had for the Game was wiped clean. With Matt trying to bolster the spirits of Camilla and Lilian, Randy's anger finally and completely dissipated. Orton's heart rate and breathing returned to their normal rates, and John and Eric felt it was okay to let him go. Matt looked up to see Randy looking straight at Hunter.

The older Orton extended his hand to the Game.

"You single-handedly saved the woman I love. Thank you."

Randy said this in the most serious manner; there was no joking around. There was not even a slight hint of the playful banter that usually characterized Orton's voice whenever he talked about Lilian. Everyone in the room sensed this … except Hunter. The atmosphere was nearly choking the Game.

"Uh … you're welcome? I … I didn't know … it was that serious. I mean, I was just … I was just doing what …"

Shawn came up behind Hunter and slapped him on the back.

"Welcome to the family."

But no one saw what came next, not even Matt. Randy went over to his bag and pulled something out of the side pocket.

"_What?! Now?!"_

"_If I don't do it now, I may not get a chance in the future with this crazed bastard running around."_

"_But … but … are you ready? You can't just go rushing into this!"_

"_What just happened right now confirmed it to me. Matt, if she was hurt, I would have been on the same level as if you were gone. I'm doing this __**now**__."_

Matt wanted to say something else, but it looked like there was nothing he could say to change Randy's mind. Camilla gasped out loud when Orton kneeled in front of Lilian.

"Lilian … I … I can't imagine what I would have done if something would have happened to you. I mean this in every sense of the word when I say that you are one of only two people that I hold so dearly."

"Two?", Lilian responded, her head cocked to the side and her eyes narrowed at Randy. "Who's the other?"

Matt spoke up after a short silence. "I think he's referring to me … I mean, a strictly brotherly sort of relationship. At least I _think_ that's what …"

"Shut up!", Randy tersely shouted at Matt. Lilian giggled and the gleaming smile Randy adored returned to her face.

"Lilian, I want to give my heart to you. I want to give everything to you. Will … will you marry me?"

Naturally, everyone's eyes gravitated towards Lilian's face. The smile didn't disappear or change in any way. Camilla came up behind Matt and put her arm around his waist, squeezing tightly. Matt looked down at her and wrapped his arms around his fiancée just as Lilian nodded her head. Hunter, Shawn, John, and Eric all started to clap as Randy lifted Lilian into the air, spinning her around like one of the teacups at Disneyland.

The celebration was interrupted by a strong rumbling. Eric looked down at his stomach and started to blush.

"Sorry … I'm, I'm just a little hungry."

Randy started to laugh. "Well … let's all go out to eat. Whatever we want. My treat."

"Can we at least eat some Texan food this time? I mean … since we _are_ in Houston", asked Shawn, who was still a little bitter over being forced to eat Italian last time they went down to San Antonio.

"Sure, why not? Nothing could bring me down from where I am right now", Randy replied, giving Lilian another deep kiss.

* * *

There wasn't much open late at night. Bars, mostly. Shawn, Eric, and Matt weren't that familiar with Houston like they were with San Antonio. There was a Denny's open on the corner of one of the streets, and it looked like that was going to be their place to dine. At first, the group was hesitant to go in; they didn't want to be swarmed by people asking for autographs. 

"Oh, come on!", Eric begged. "There's not even anyone in the parking lot! What are the chances? I'm starving!"

"Barringer, I'd like a _little_ classier first meal to share with my fiancée than ham, eggs, and pancakes", Randy replied, disappointed.

"Hey, I like pancakes!", shouted out John.

"Shut up, Cena!"

It was as if Lilian and Randy were inseparable; they hadn't left each other's embrace since the group left the arena. Matt kept trying to get into Randy's thoughts to see what he was feeling, but his brother's out-of-control emotions were blocking any such attempts.

"Do you think they'll be happy?", Camilla whispered in Matt's ear.

"I hope so. It would kill him if they didn't … and I don't want a dead brother."

Eric had gone on ahead to peer inside the restaurant; there were only 2 people seated way in the back corner. Randy reluctantly took Lilian inside and sat down at the biggest available table, playing with the salt and pepper shakers to alleviate his distaste for the place. The rest of the group followed suit, filling in the U-shaped booth nicely. After the waiter, who thankfully didn't recognize anybody, took their orders, John felt like asking a question.

"So … I'm still a little confused. How exactly are you standing, Hunter? I mean, we saw you take the fall from the top of the cage and Shawn kicked you hard. The whole arena heard Shawn's boot slap against your noggin. What gives?"

Shawn and Hunter looked at each other and grinned.

"Well …", Hunter began, "… Shawn and I had a conversation the next morning before RAW. He convinced me to let him try to show me how much of a fake Batista was. Shawn had gone about this for weeks, ever since Batista wanted the World Heavyweight title for himself, but I never believed him. I guess I was wrong."

"But that doesn't answer my question", Cena retorted. "How did you …"

"I'm getting there. Calm down, John. The cage match was orchestrated by us. We knew what we were doing the whole time. When Randy came down to the ring, I knew that I had a chance to make everyone believe I was truly injured. That way, I could see if Dave's true emotions and intentions would make themselves known. It … its unfortunate that we learned how we did, but I got the message regardless."

HBK filled in the last crucial piece of information. "The sound that you heard was my other foot and one of my hands hitting the canvas really hard. I really only hit him in the upper back, not the head."

Cena apparently still didn't understand, rolling his eyes and going back to play with the ice in his glass of Coca-Cola. Matt watched as Randy kept whispering something in Lilian's ear, still unable to get inside Randy's head.

"So what's the plan for tomorrow night?", Eric asked, breaking another silence. "We want to take out Batista, don't we?"

"Do we really have to talk about this now?", Camilla asked. "Aren't we supposed to be relaxing?"

"I think Batista should suffer", Matt spurted out. "He can hold on to that belt all he wants, but we have to make life a living hell for him. And … uh …", a mischievous grin overcome Matt's face, "… I'm sure D-Generation X can supply some of their antics, right?"

Hunter, Shawn, and Eric looked up and all nodded collectively. "I'm sure we can think something up", replied Hunter. "To tell you the truth, that's one of the things I missed most about DX. Screwing with people."

"But then who's going to go after the belt?", asked Lilian, curiously. "I mean, you guys aren't just going to play trick after trick on him, are you?"

"But that's the point", responded Matt. "We back off from Batista's title for a long while and just screw with him until he loses it."

"That'll just piss him off even more though. I'm not too comfortable with that freak when I'm sitting right next to the ring."

Randy put his arm around Lilian. "I'm not letting him come anywhere near you. All Matt's saying is that we need to get into his head before Matt and I take him down for good."

"But won't it feel better getting the title _and_ putting Batista on the bench for a while at the same time? Randy, I'd feel safer if you guys would just get it done here and now."

Matt took a deep breath. Now that Lilian had said that, it was bound to be part of Randy's to-do list.

"Okay … okay … hold on", the younger Orton interrupted. "Our next pay-per-view is SummerSlam. We'll do it then."

"But that's in two months", commented Lilian. "I want this done _now_. As in … as soon as possible. I don't want that freak near me."

"You really think Bischoff will give one of us a title match this soon? He might go off on us saying that none of us deserve it since Shawn had a golden opportunity and just threw it away."

"I went into the match knowing that, Orton", HBK quipped. "Now that I've got DX back together, the belt really doesn't matter to me."

"Well, what about Hunter then? He's been gone only a month. Bischoff has to admit that he still has some sort of a claim on the belt."

"Whoa! Hold on, Orton", Hunter interjected. "My time in the spotlight will come eventually. I think I owe it to Shawn to spend some time with him in the ring. If anything, we're gonna come after those Tag Team titles of yours."

John and Matt looked at each other, then over at who could possibly be their next challengers.

"Well, what about me? I'm not doing anything."

The whole table swung over to the young DX member with looks of incredulity on their faces. Hunter scoffed a bit while Shawn tilted his head to the side in wonder.

"You really think you can impress Bischoff enough to earn a title shot, Eric?", asked HBK, a little concerned.

"You don't think making Taker pass out in the middle of a steel cell doesn't qualify me? I'll kick Taker's ass again if I have to to prove it to him. Besides, Matt himself said that I would be prime material to take Batista down."

All eyes moved to the younger Orton now, who started to blush slightly.

"What? I was encouraging him so he could go full force against Taker! Come on, it's not like any of us could do it! Cena and I will be occupied with Hunter and Shawn, and Randy still has his Intercontinental title to defend. Who else is going to be free? Besides, Eric has taken down Batista in the past. Remember the finals of that Intercontinental tournament before No Way Out? Even with me distracting him, Eric made Batista pass out! Who's to say he can't do it again?"

Eric could hardly hold his excitement in. Just like the little pep talk he received from Matt before Bad Blood started, Barringer felt immensely thankful for how his best friend was sticking up for him. Albeit hesitant, Shawn gave the nod of approval and Eric leaned over to give Matt a high-five. Appropriately, the food reached the table, and everyone dug into their meals.

"_Are you sure that putting this on Eric is the best thing to do?"_, Randy asked his brother. _"We should be going after Batista, not him. Dave might injure him."_

While chewing on a mouthful of bacon, Matt replied. _"There's enough of an animal inside Eric to counter Dave. Didn't you see him go crazy in that cell?! I know you want to take down Batista with me eventually, but we've got too much on our plates already! There's no way you could manage __**both**__ the Intercontinental and the World Heavyweight Championships! There's no way I could do the same with the World Tag Team Championship!"_

"_That's a bunch of bull! You did great when you had two belts! If you keep saying that, we're never gonna get all the belts at once!"_

"_What? What do you mean?"_

"_You don't remember that conversation we had? I said that, in a perfect world, we would hold the World Tag Team Championship and we would split the Intercontinental and the World Championship belts!"_.

"_Randy, sure, that's something to aspire to, but do you realistically think that could ever happen? What are the chances of the planets aligning just right so that could take place?"_

"_We're Ortons, goddammit. It'll happen. I promise that."_

* * *

"**Are you ready?**"

The fans in the arena were anxious to see this. Triple H would make his return on RAW in only a few seconds. Hunter, Shawn, and Eric were standing behind the curtain, anxiously waiting for their cue. Shawn and Eric were bouncing around, light on their feet, just as always. Hunter only had a sly grin on his face, happy that he would walk down the ramp along side his best friend instead of facing him down on the way to the ring. HHH was also happy to have Eric in the group; not to raise him as a pawn, but to fight along side him as a colleague.

"**BREAK IT DOWN!**"

Hunter grabbed his water bottle and followed Eric and Shawn out onto the stage. The crowd was almost a sea of green: green signs and banners, DX shirts … even a letter-by-letter giant green spelling of 'D-Generation X'. Eric had debuted new neon green pants and a likewise headband, Shawn had turned his usual red and black outfit green and black, Hunter himself had on dark green tights and a brand new DX t-shirt. With the fans nearly blowing the roof off of the building, Hunter accepted a microphone from Lilian and climbed into the ring with his friends.

"I never thought people would actually be happy to see me." The fans laughed before Hunter went back to speaking. "You see, this all was a trick. My fall from the cage … my good buddy Shawn here kicking me in the head … me being out until Survivor Series … all fake. And why? Honestly … I don't know why. I had no reason to give Shawn a chance given our history together. Ever since SummerSlam last year, we've hated each other. But he kept pleading to me to listen to him. At SummerSlam … at Survivor Series where he won the title from me … and even at Armageddon where I won the title back. Then after I was left alone to fend for myself, Shawn proposed that Batista was the one who I should be targeting."

Hunter paused to reflect on what he was saying. The fans filled the silence nicely with boos.

"But I didn't listen to him. But just a couple of months ago at Judgment Day, he finally had me cracked open. I decided to hang back to see what would unfold … and lo and behold, Shawn was right. All Shawn wanted was his best friend back, and I kept denying him. And here, in front of all these fans … Shawn, with every bit of sincerity in my body … I'm sorry."

The fans were convinced of this once Shawn and Hunter embraced again in the middle of the ring. Eric stood back and applauded his teammates.

"Now … onto other business. Dave Batista …" The fans instantly filled the building with boos. "You wanted Evolution all to yourself. Batista … I brought you to RAW. If it weren't for me, you would still be rotting on Smackdown! And when you attacked the Ortons … that was low. But when you attacked Camilla and Lilian …" Shawn could see that look of malice come back to overwhelm Hunter's face.

"But … but that's not my problem. You see, I did what I had to do. I defended Camilla and Lilian until Matt and Randy came and nearly kicked your head off! And believe me, they'll get their chance at you."

Before Hunter could say anymore, Bischoff's music pierced the arena and cut Hunter off. An apparently angry General Manager stormed out onto the stage.

"Hold on a minute! Hold on a goddamn minute! You're telling me that my top athlete, my top Superstar, _**faked**_ an injury … a potentially career-ending injury … all to get his friend back?" Bischoff faked a chuckle. "How pathetic! Friends? The Game talking about _friends_? I think we've gone back to the kindergarten playground! There is absolutely no way …"

Glass shattered, and it wasn't Matt's cell phone.

The Texas Rattlesnake himself stepped out onto the stage, causing a complete and total overload of cheering and shrieking. Backstage, Matt went nuts; Steve Austin was Matt's childhood hero. Randy was laughing at how crazy Matt was going; his brother was bouncing off the walls.

"Are you done, Bischoff?", Austin asked. "You know … I'm not known for having a soft spot, but I am a man of morals. And well … how in the blue _hell_ can you care more about your damn ratings than the well-being of two of your female employees!? Even _I_ know that!"

"Look here, Austin …"

"Don't you 'look here' me, boy!" Austin was now in Bischoff's face.

"Please, Austin … if I may …", Barringer had taken the microphone from Hunter. "… please let a fellow Texan comment on this. I would bet anything that you would make a better General Manager than Bischoff."

From the amount of applause in the building, it was apparent that the whole crowd agreed.

"Kid, that's the most intelligent thing I've heard tonight. Now …"

But now there was another interruption. Mr. McMahon himself strutted out onto the stage, wary of the two men in front of him. Bischoff grinned, happy that McMahon had come out to save face.

McMahon accepted the microphone from Bischoff, only to say … "As much as I hate to admit it, I think Barringer's right."

The grin disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

"As a matter of fact, we'll have a little contest tonight. Austin, you will make two matches. Bischoff, you will also make two matches. Whomever comes out with the better matches and the better results will be made General Manager of RAW. And …", McMahon paused to let the fans cheer. "… one match each must be made … right now!"

DX looked amongst each other. Evolution did the same in the locker room. If there was any time for the matches the group talked about last night to be made, it was now. Wisely enough, Austin jumped at the bit.

"I don't have to think twice about this … I'm going to give everybody here what they want. A handicap match … with Batista in one corner … and Randy and Matthew Orton in the other!"

Now _both_ brothers were going crazy in the back. Camilla was lifted into the air and spun around while John congratulated his good friend Randy on getting the match the Ortons had deserved since the first brutal attack by the World Heavyweight Champion.

McMahon nodded approvingly. Bischoff was about to grab the microphone from Austin, but McMahon pushed him back.

"Bischoff … you better make this good. It's going to take one hell of a match to beat that."

Everyone could tell that Bischoff was searching for something. The General Manager's eyes darted back and forth, but no words came out of his mouth. Bischoff seemed to move his mouth, but nothing audible spilled out. McMahon nodded and looked out to the audience, who all seemed to be booing. With a chilling look, the Chairman turned to Bischoff and said …

"Eric Bischoff …. _**YOU'RE FIRED!**_ … and … I'd never thought I'd say this …" McMahon slowly turned to his long-time nemesis and said, "Stone Cold, you're hired!"

With a new General Manager, Stone Cold promptly delivered his patented Stunner to Bischoff. The former RAW GM fell quickly to the floor, out cold. The arena filled with laughter before Stone Cold returned to his new duties.

"Now, I ain't done. I've got a couple more gems up my sleeve. Tonight, we'll get to see the old style D-Generation X in action when they go up against say ..." Austin pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket and looked down a list of names. "… Team Angle … or whoever these sons of bitches are."

Shawn and Hunter slapped each other on the back, looking forward to their first tag team match together in quite some time.

"Hold on, now! Hold on! Barringer, I ain't forgotten about you! Let's see … well, hell, I don't even need this list. You're main event material, son!"

Eric looked like he was about to go nuts. Shawn and Hunter looked over at him and both nodded; his match against the Undertaker last night was of high caliber.

"Now … tonight, I'm going to start looking for a new #1 contender to that son-of-a-bitch's title. And Barringer, you get to prove yourself. Tonight, we're having a tag team match. Barringer will have one half of the World Tag Team Champions, John Cena, as his partner going up against the Undertaker and Chris Jericho!"

Backstage, Cena was shocked at his being inserted in the match. But what Stone Cold said next shocked him even more.

"And … whoever wins this slobberknocker of a match will go against each other in a best-of-five series to determine who the new #1 contender is!"

"Holy crap", John and Eric both muttered simultaneously. Shawn and Hunter both slapped Eric on the back while Matt and Randy did the same to John. D-Generation X celebrated in the ring to Stone Cold's music as RAW went to commercial.

* * *

_With Eric Bischoff out of the picture, how will Stone Cold's reign as General Manager change the face of RAW? Can Triple H and Shawn Michaels shake off the rust and grab the attention of the whole tag team division? Will John Cena and Eric Barringer manage to advance to that best-of-five #1 contender's series? And can the Orton brothers fulfill the future Lilian Orton's wishes of taking the Animal out?_

_And … yes. I'm __**incredibly freaking happy**__ at the results of No Mercy._

_Hope you enjoyed reading it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	58. Shattered

_The events of the RAW after Bad Blood now take place. What new complications will a troubled comrade bring to Matt? Also, three teams will face various opponents: Shawn & Hunter face Team Angle, John & Eric face Taker & Jericho, and Randy & Matt face Batista._

_Let's go!_

* * *

When DX came back to the locker room, the whole group celebrated hitting the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The new General Manager of RAW, Stone Cold Steve Austin, had made nearly all of the matches that Evolution and D-Generation X wanted. The newly reformed old school DX would be able to shake off the ring rust. It was a possibility that one member of Evolution and one member of DX would be in a race for the #1 contender's spot to the World Heavyweight Championship. And the two brothers would finally be able to get their hands on the man who's been threatening the very life of the family. 

The first match of the night was a Fatal Four Way Divas match; Stone Cold was apparently looking for a new #1 contender to Camilla's Women's Championship. Naturally, Camilla focused on the television, scouting out her possible opponents in Trish Stratus, Victoria, Jazz, and Torrie Wilson. While Camilla's eyes were glued to the television, Matt pulled his tag team champ partner to a separate room.

"Dude! You're finally getting your chance at a singles title! And the _big_ one at that! You've got to be pumped!", Matt exclaimed, hoping that John would show some sign that he was ready to make the transition to singles competition permanently. But Cena didn't really look that way. In fact, John didn't look happy at all. The visage of the other half of the World Tag Team Champions looked more stunned than excited.

"I don't know, dawg. I don't think I'm cut out for something like this."

"Oh, please!", cried out Orton. Matt felt like he was going to have to pull out the same motivational speech he used on Eric, except he didn't have as much ammunition to utilize. "Look, you're the better wrestler out of us. There's no limit to what you can do! Hell, you could hold on to the World Heavyweight Championship for over a year if you wanted!"

Cena laughed in disbelief. "_Me_ the better wrestler? Hold on to the title for over a _year_? You've got to be kidding me. Matt, you're the better man, no doubt about that. And don't give me that crap about this being about heart. What matters is numbers, Orton. I haven't beaten you. I haven't won any other title other than that one."

Looking over at Cena's half of the tag titles and then back at his partner, Matt couldn't believe what John was saying.

"Whoa … do you mean to tell me that you think that these belts mean _nothing_ to you now?"

"No … but …"

Orton could tell that Cena was desperately looking for an answer.

"Do … do you _not_ want to be a tag team anymore?" Matt was torn at Cena's position now. He was partially excited to see the opportunity to finally start properly tagging with his brother, but Matt was shocked to see John initiate the split.

"Its not that … its just that I feel like I'm going to turn out to be crap. I mean … look at you. Before I was ever in the picture on RAW, you were Intercontinental Champion. I was on Smackdown all through when your shoulder was separated and what did I accomplish? Nothing. Not even a qualifying match for a belt. And you were here for only a month. You lasted from _#3_ in the Royal Rumble all the way to the end. I was … #12? #13? It really doesn't matter; I didn't last long anyway. Then you win a Last Man Standing match for your first belt. Me … I haven't been in a special match yet."

"And these mean_nothing_ to you?! _**Nothing?!**_", Matt screamed out, holding up both his own and Cena's belt. "John, you're one of the best on the roster! You're a member of Evolution!"

"**WHAT DOES THAT MATTER WHEN I'M ONLY A GODDAMN TAG TEAM WRESTLER!**"

The sheer volume of Cena's voice nearly knocked his partner down. Randy and Camilla were now poking their heads into the room to see what was going on.

"Cena," Matt tried to sputter out, "… you've got to chill. Calm down and …"

"**DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN, GODDAMMIT!**"

Orton then made a decision he knew he would regret. In an effort to calm his partner down, Matt backhanded Cena across the face. With the sound echoing throughout the room, it looked as if the anger and frustration were gone from John's semblance. Taking a deep breath, Matt turned around, grabbed his duffle bag, and headed into the bathroom to change into his ring gear. Randy and Camilla, surmising that everything was now okay, headed back to what they were doing.

Now safely in the bathroom, Matt put his bag down and closed the door. Pulling out his part of the matching set of orange tights furnished by the mother Orton for himself and Randy, Matt bent down to take off his sneakers and lace up his boots. Taking off his shirt, Matt got up and heard the door open. With the room dark except for the lights around the mirror in front of him, Matt could only see the gleam of something in the darkness.

It was Cena. John came in holding both of the tag titles in his hands. Thinking the worst, Matt put his hands up to defend himself. John started to move forward, and Orton braced for impact. However, Cena just shoved Matt's belt in his partner's hands and backed off.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have had burst out at you like that. You … you believe in me … and I rejected you. I rejected my best friend … I rejected my _only_ friend."

Matt could hear Cena's voice trail off at the end of his sentence.

"John … what is wrong with you? Why are you getting so paranoid? Why do you keep worrying about things that aren't there? Cena, I'm not your only friend. Randy and Camilla are your friends. Eric and Shawn are your friends. I … I _guess_ Hunter's now your friend. You're part of the family, John! One of my own greatest fears is separation from my family. No matter what happens, John, we're gonna stick together, whether we're a tag team or singles wrestlers. I believe in you, but the most important thing is for you to believe in yourself!"

Matt paused a bit to think.

"Eric's gonna kill me for saying this … John, you and Eric go win that match tonight, then you kick Eric's ass all over that ring in every one of those matches! Then you take Batista's belt away from him and keep it around your waist for as long as you can! You can hang with all of us in the ring; you've nearly beaten me, Randy, and Eric. Now is your time to prove that you can step up. If you lose, just get your ass up and get right back in their face."

John instantly hugged Matt, a single tear running down his face. Never before had someone taken such an genuine interest in him since college. Cena's own 'friends' mistreated him, ignoring whatever John wanted to do and usually just got high or drunk.

"You're … you're a true bro, Matt", John creaked out.

Finding the situation a little awkward, Orton said, "Cena … man up, jeez …"

John pushed off and punched Matt hard in the chest, making Orton stumble back a bit. Matt coughed, then laughed as he regained his composure.

"Look at that nameplate on your belt, John. What does it say?"

Cena looked down at the belt on his shoulder and said outloud … "John Cena."

"Keep it that way. And work to put that nameplate on another belt. Now get the hell out of here so I can change."

John quickly turned around and left the room. Before Matt continued preparing for the night's match, however, one thing started to trouble him.

"_I hope I didn't just spark a feud between Eric & John."_

* * *

The match between DX and Team Angle could have been considered the most one-sided match in recent years. Neither Benjamin nor Haas really got a shred of offense in; Shawn and Hunter's ring rust as a team seemed to disappear almost instantly. HHH's power moves coupled with HBK's smarts and speed spelled the end for the self-proclaimed world's greatest tag team. The reunited friends even displayed their mischievousness by somehow tricking Benjamin into attacking Haas. But, after the playing of some Sweet Chin Music, a Pedigree ended the match quickly. 

Watching backstage, Cena leaned over to his tag team partner and suggested something.

"Let's go stand at the door with the belts on our shoulders so we're the first people Shawn and Hunter see when they come back into the room."

Matt smiled and slapped John on the back. "Now _that's_ the kind of attitude I want out of you."

The World Tag Team Champions hurried over to the door and stood confidently, waiting for the victorious pair to step through the entryway. Randy chuckled as they walked by, having overheard John's plan and wondering how DX would react. Eric was also wary of what was going on, although he was already planning how to confront John after their match with Taker & Jericho.

The locker room door finally opened and the tag champs started acting as if they were buffing the gold on their belts. Hunter and Shawn looked at each other and laughed.

"Just wait, boys", Shawn started. "Once we get into the ring with you two, you'll be regretting that you showboated in front of us."

Cena only smiled and held his belt high in the air. Matt sat back, relaxed and happy that John finally had some of his confidence back.

"You know, Cena", began Triple H, "you better put your money where your mouth is come time for our shot at those straps."

"You still have a couple of weeks to impress Austin, Hunter", shot back Cena. "Meanwhile, I've got my own match to worry about."

Eric walked up beside John and slapped him on the back rather hard. "You ready …_partner_?", Barringer said harshly. Matt rolled his eyes and walked to the back of the room to sit down with his fiancée and his brother to watch the next match as Cena and Barringer walked out of the room.

"Aren't you excited?", asked Camilla as everyone watched Chris Jericho walk down the ramp. "We get married in three weeks!"

Matt had almost forgotten; Randy sensed this and chuckled before getting a elbow in the gut from his brother.

"We've got everything ready, right? We've ordered the cake, sent out the invitations …"

"Should we really be talking about this right now?", interrupted Matt. "I mean … we've got a lot on our plate tonight as it is. To be honest, I'm a little afraid right now."

The smile on Camilla's face melted away, now replaced with a look of worry and despair. "I was only trying to get your head away from that. Besides, Randy'll be right there if anything goes wrong."

"She's right", the older Orton replied calmly. "You got my back and I've got yours. I won't let anything go haywire."

Matt looked at his brother strangely. "You're … _oddly_ optimistic. What gives?"

Randy chuckled before responding. "To be truthful, I've never felt so confident in my life over something. It's just going to be you and me going up against the one man we both hate. Its … its like me getting my hands on the person that took you away from us all those years ago. I know that we'll never find out who that bastard was, but this …"

Randy balled a fist.

"… this is the next best thing."

The only thing Matt could think of was the picture that Randy showed him that first day in San Antonio. The week before they had taken off for Houston, Camilla had taken a picture of Randy with his arm around Matt's shoulder. After she got the picture developed, she stuck it in the corner of Matt's mirror, right next to the original one. The younger Orton stumbled upon it and immediately put it in his wallet.

Matt reached over to his duffel bag and grabbed the picture from his wallet before showing it to his brother. Randy took into his hands and almost thought it was Christmas. The confidence that Randy had was now joined by a sense of tranquility. For the first time in a long while, Randy wasn't mad at all. The empty feeling that persisted in Randy's mind from the sixteen years that he was apart from Matt was finally filled in. The wounds that Randy had that weren't healed from spending the last year and a half with his younger brother were healed. Randy Orton was now a different man.

The sound of the bell ringing distracted the group. Turning to the monitor, Randy, Matt, and Camilla saw the referee raising the arms of Eric and John in the air. Taker was on the ground outside the ring, furious. Jericho was … just on the ground. Y2J was made victim to Barringer's Camel Clutch while Cena kept Taker out of the ring with an FU. Eric then proceeded to stare down John in the middle of the ring, making a belt motion around his waist.

"Let the competition begin", Matt said out loud.

* * *

"The following handicap match is scheduled for one fall!", Lilian yelled out into the microphone. 

'Line in the Sand' blared around the arena, and the brothers Orton stepped out onto the stage. Each brother had on matching orange tights, with the word "ORTON" in big white letters on the back. Each brother had the same matching tattoos. The ink was more than just ink; it was a symbol of the steel-tight bond that existed between the two men. Each brother had a belt: Randy with the Intercontinental belt and Matt with one of the World Tag Team belts.

"_Just think of how we would feel if you had the other one"_, Matt communicated to his brother.

Randy smirked as their pyro lit up the stage behind them. Both brothers proudly posed together as one before starting down the ramp. Matt gave Lilian a hug and Randy gave his fiancée a kiss before she stepped out of the ring. The Ortons gave their belts to the referee and turned to face the curtain in unison.

"_You ready for this?"_

"_Do you even have to ask me? We're going to tear this bastard limb from limb."_

Batista soon stepped out onto the stage. Carrying the World Heavyweight Championship on his shoulder, the Animal looked into the eyes of his prey. The two Ortons had been thorns in his side since the beginning. Dave didn't forget the first time he met the younger of the two; Batista suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Matt after an MKO. The Last Man Standing match a week ago as a result of the RAW Roulette didn't only bruise Dave's ego; Batista had a large bruise covering the right side of his face from slamming into the stage.

The referee struggled to hold back Randy and Matt back as Dave walked down to the ring. After Batista refused to come any closer, the Ortons backed off into their corner. After a short conversation, Matt decided to start off the match. The World Heavyweight Champion cautiously got into the ring; everyone watching sensed an aura of hesitation … and even fear … around Dave. The referee called for the bell, but Matt didn't move an inch. As Batista watched, an almost vicious smirk came across the younger Orton's face. Dave made the first move, lifting his hand up in the air and signaling for a test of strength.

Orton hesitated, knowing that it would be risky. Batista might fake out and kick him in the stomach … or he might simply overpower him in an instant. Throwing caution to the wind and discarding any sense of logic, Matt quickly stepped up and interlocked hands with the champ. With an eye on Batista's other hand as well as his feet, Orton guardedly raised his other arm. When the two hands met, Batista leveled all his power into pushing Orton down, getting Matt's back nearly 45 degrees to the floor. Matt shifted his foot a bit, which caused him to get some leverage and push back, bringing the two men to an even stance.

Randy started to stomp his foot on the apron in a rhythmic manner to get crowd support for his brother. Although Matt appreciated the help, it wasn't going to aid him any; even though he was giving 110 percent, Orton could feel his might slipping away. And just as he feared, Batista lifted a knee straight into Matt's midsection. Momentarily vulnerable, Orton was slammed against the mat with a vigorous spinebuster from the champ. Getting to his feet, Dave looked over to Randy with sick, twisted look on his face. Batista was drawing an immense amount of pleasure from the fact that Randy was watching his brother get pulverized. The older Orton kept his composure on the outside, but on the inside, Randy's emotions were at scalding hot temperatures.

Batista brought Matt to his feet and slammed him up against the opposite turnbuckle, ramming his own shoulder into Orton's stomach. Matt found it increasingly hard to breathe; Dave wasn't going to let him recover any time soon. After five strong shots to the stomach, Batista backed off and took aim. With a running start, Dave clotheslined Matt hard, compressing Orton's windpipe and slamming the back of Matt's head against the hard iron. Orton fell to the ground, coughing uncontrollably. Dave looked back again at Randy, who was now shaking. Watching his brother writhe in pain on the ground, Randy used all of his restraint and composure to stay on the apron.

Dave once again turned around to pick Matt up. This time, Batista readied some sort of suplex. The champ tried to lift the younger Orton up into the air, but was unsuccessful. Matt had locked his leg around Dave's in order to block the suplex. Batista two more times before getting the hold reversed; Matt grabbed hold of the back of Batista's knee and converted the move into his own fisherman's bridge suplex.

"1, 2, …"

The champ managed to lift a shoulder. Matt rolled to the side in order to gain a moment's reprieve. The few precious seconds gained would help him reconfigure his game plan. Orton knew a tag would be in order, but Matt still wanted to beat Batista down somewhat before passing the torch to his brother. An idea popping into his head, Matt scrambled over to a recovering Batista and locked in the Texas Cloverleaf. This way, he was able to inflict pain and rest himself somewhat at the same time. Orton could feel himself moving closer to the ropes; Dave was using all of his upper body strength to crawl to freedom. Not allowing that, Matt turned and started to pull Batista over to the corner where Randy was. Reaching out and obtaining the tag while still applying the hold, Matt watched his brother walk to the other side of the ring.

"_What are you planning?"_

"_Remember that first night in San Antonio when you told me that you were the kicker on your football team back in grade school?"_

"_Yeah? So what?"_

"_Let's see if I can kick that ball farther than you."_

At first, Matt was confused, but after seeing Batista's noggin in the perfect position, Orton smiled. Randy reared back, ready for his moment of glory, the moment of revenge that he had desired ever since the attacks on his brother, his future sister-in-law, and his fiancée. Like a bull that had just seen the wave of the matador's cape, Orton ran and punted Batista's head with as much force as he could exert.

The slap of Randy's boot against Batista's face filled the arena; it sounded almost like something cracked. Upon feeling the resistance to his Texas Cloverleaf cease, Matt looked back to see Dave motionless on the mat. A trickle of blood was running down the Animal's face, coloring the canvas below him. Matt got up and looked up at his brother's face, characterized with sadistic satisfaction.

"_Get on the apron"_, Randy communicated to Matt. _"I'm not done with this son of a bitch."_

Without question, Matt obeyed his brother. Even with Batista not moving at all, Randy managed to lift him up and plant the barely conscious Animal on the turnbuckle. Orton turned around and tagged his brother right back in.

"_RKO. We do this together."_

Matt was happy to oblige. The two Ortons quickly set themselves up and each wrapped an arm around Batista's neck before running out and executing a double RKO. Together, as one unit, Randy and Matt flipped Batista over and put one foot each on the World Heavyweight Champion's chest.

"1, 2, 3!"

It was as if the arena was on fire. For the first time in a long while, so said J.R. in his commentary, the roar of the fans overpowered even Lilian's announcement of the winners of the match. The referee called for EMTs, and sure enough, a couple of men with a stretcher rolled on down to the ring. But no one cared. Lilian climbed in the ring and embraced her fiancée as the fallen champion was taken out of the arena. Camilla came from backstage and did the same to Matthew.

Backstage, Austin sat in his office, smiling.

"_Served the bastard right."_

* * *

_Batista has been taken care of. There is no longer a direct threat to the Orton family. But what happens when the seeds of a new threat have been sown … __**inside**__ the family?_

_Hope you enjoyed it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	59. Disbelief

_I managed to squeak out another one before the weekend was over! Hope this makes up for my lack of updates recently._

_With two weeks left before the wedding, the whole gang gathers at the Orton household for a weekend of relaxation. Randy decides to confront Matt about something that's been bothering him. Then, on the next episode of Monday Night RAW, Eric receives an unexpected gesture and we learn the fate of the Animal._

_Hope you like it!_

* * *

Sunday night, the conclusion to a fairly easy week, rolled around. Hunter and Shawn were busy goofing off while grilling barbeque. Eric smiled as he watched his two teammates rekindle their friendship; Shawn hadn't been this happy in a while. Barringer was reminded of the first few weeks he spent with Matt and Randy after they had all been reunited. That youth that the brothers exuded was being replicated right in front of him. It had only been a week since Hunter had returned, but Eric could significantly see and feel the difference in Hunter's demeanor. Before, whenever Hunter was in the room, the air seemed constricting and unforgiving. Now, the atmosphere was the exact opposite. Triple H always had a smile on his face and you never felt intimidated by the presence of the Game. 

Hearing a splash behind him, Eric looked back to see Lilian swim back up to the surface. Randy was standing near the diving board, a boyish smile on his face. Barringer sensed a change in Randy's demeanor as well; ever since the burden of Batista was lifted from his shoulders, the older Orton wasn't tense or angry and had been closer to Lilian than ever before. Eric could say the same about Matt and Camilla, who were sharing a bowl of chocolate ice cream over at a picnic table.

Cena, however, was the only one who wasn't in a jovial mood. Ever since the victory over the Undertaker & Chris Jericho, John had been intensely training to the point to where it was isolating him from the group. Instead of going out to a local concert, Cena stayed home and lifted weights. Instead of flying down to San Antonio for another Texas-style treat, Cena remained in St. Louis to work on his cardio. Despite their past differences, Eric truly had nothing against the Doctor of Thuganomics, but it was beginning to look like John had something against Eric. At the dinner table, John would sometimes stare coldly at Barringer for an extended period of time. It would take a nudge from Matt to set John straight. Eric looked over to the window leading inside the workout room, and sure enough, John was in there on a weight bench.

"It's a little freaky, isn't it?"

Eric looked back to see Matt sit down next to him in a lawn chair. Camilla had pushed Randy into the pool, much to the delight of Lilian. Shawn and Hunter were now arguing over who's fault it was that the brisket was now burnt.

"Yeah. It's like he's a completely different person. All he's done is train himself for the match tomorrow all week."

"It's partly my fault. Cena was down in the dumps last Monday and he needed a boost. So I gave him a couple pointers and tried to pump him up."

Eric chuckled slightly. "Well … it worked."

"Maybe you should be in there working out in front of him. Let him know that you're not intimidated by him."

"Me? Intimidated? Hardly. I know I can take him down. Its just …", Eric hesitated to say what was on his mind. "… hasn't John seemed different to you lately?"

"He wants that belt more than anything."

"And don't you think he'd _do_ anything to get it?"

A memory suddenly triggered in Matt's mind. At Bad Blood, Cena had brought his chain down to the match against Rob Van Dam & Tommy Dreamer. Matt felt silly for not recognizing this before. Encouraging Cena in the way he did could have put Eric in serious jeopardy.

"Just don't let him pull anything", Eric said. Matt looked over and nodded. Getting up and drying himself off, Orton walked back into the house. He could hear Cena blasting music as loud as he could in the workout room. Walking in, Orton saw Cena trying to bench way more than was appropriate. But, to his surprise, Cena was able to complete a set with little trouble. Matt's jaw was nearly on the ground when he did a quick calculation of the amount of weight on the bar.

"Dude … who are you and what have you done with John Cena?"

Cena sat up and smiled, wiping the sweat off his forehead with a nearby towel. "What? I'm just doing what you suggested. I've got to keep myself on the up and up."

"Come on out and relax a bit with us. Hunter and Shawn are almost done grilling and it looks like you could use a dip in the pool."

"Have a practice match with me."

Matt uneasily faked a smile to try to hide his disappointment. "John, you're gonna do fine tomorrow. Just come outside and …"

"No. Have a practice match with me", Cena replied sternly.

"John … I don't like what you're turning into. Everyone thinks the same way, even Eric. You've been apart from us for the whole week. Its almost like we don't know you anymore. You're in this room nearly 24/7. Your muscles are probably worn out as hell and you need to rest …_especially_ if you want a shot at winning tomorrow. I'm all for you pumping yourself up, but you need to learn how to control yourself. Now get your ass up and come outside and relax with us." Cena wasn't budging. Throwing his hands into the air in defeat, Matt turned around and walked out of the room.

Half pissed off and half worried that things were getting out of hand, Orton dashed out of the house and somersaulted off the diving board straight into the pool, sailing over the heads of Lilian and Randy. Opening his eyes underwater, Matt looked up and thought he saw Camilla standing next to the side of the pool. Swimming to the surface, Matt realized it wasn't Camilla.

It was Cena.

Everyone was surprised to see John outside for a change; even Hunter and Shawn stopped bickering about the hot dogs to look over at him. With his hands on his sides, John looked a little annoyed.

"Well? Will you move so I can jump in?"

Relieved, Matt chuckled and started to move to the side. However, Cena was shoved into the pool from behind by a mischievous Camilla, and John nearly fell on top of Orton. Randy couldn't stop laughing at his brother's predicament and Lilian started to giggle. Eric walked over to the side of the pool and sat down, putting his legs in the water. When Cena's head surfaced, the first thing he did was look over at Eric.

A moment of tension filled the air as John swam over to Barringer.

"I look forward to our match tomorrow night", Cena said calmly before extending his hand to Eric. Barringer smiled and accepted John's handshake before getting pulled into the pool himself.

As the youngest DX member took the plunge, Matt was relieved to see that Cena still had a sense of humor under that disguise John had been hiding under all this week.

"_I'm worried about him."_

Matt looked over at Randy, who was staring at him right in the eye.

"_He's too volatile. He took that chain to the match at Bad Blood, right? And he nearly lost it when you backhanded him at the arena last Monday. And now he might go off on Eric."_

"_What do you want me to do about it? We can't just dump him from Evolution. He'd__**really**__ go crazy if we did."_

"_I don't mean that. I just think he needs a singles title. Once he gets the World title, he'll be too focused on defending that to worry about the tag titles. He won't have to deal with any one of us. John can take out his frustrations on someone else. Steiner, Jericho … hell, let him loose on Taker if you want. Then we can go after the tag straps ourselves."_

"_But … but Eric'll …"_

"_Enough about Eric. Barringer can take care of himself. Besides, Shawn and Hunter have his back. If Cena turns out to be another Batista, we'll end him just like we did Dave."_

Matt desperately didn't want that to happen. When it came to destroying Batista, Matt had no problems doing it. Sure, Dave was Matt's mentor, but there wasn't as deep a connection between the two men like the one between John and Matt.

"_I don't think I could bring myself to brutalize Cena like that."_

"_Matt, what would happen if Cena threatened Eric? What if Cena acted the same way Dave did towards me, you, Lilian, and Camilla?"_

"_John wouldn't do something like that."_

"_How do you know? Cena's had troubles in the past, right? He's unstable. He can snap at any time. You're the only thing keeping him from busting his lid. And what happens when you can't control him anymore? I know you've asked yourself that question, Matt. And you don't know what to do."_

Matt stopped. Randy was right. He had asked himself that question many times before and never came up with an answer.

"Hey guys! The chow's ready!", Hunter yelled out, taking a bite of a rib in his hand.

Eric, Randy, John, Camilla, and Lilian eagerly climbed out of the pool and ripped into the rations at hand. Hesitantly, Matt also climbed out. However, he had an eye on John the entire time.

"_Cena, so help me God, if you turn your back on us, I will make sure you will regret it."_

* * *

Early the next morning, Evolution and D-Generation X packed their bags and got into the car for a short trip to Kansas City for RAW. Randy could tell that Matt was now on end. 

"_Listen, I didn't mean to freak you out last night."_

"_I know you didn't. Look, maybe we're hyping this up way past where it's going to go. Cena's just an intense person. He trains hard and he fights hard. He's not going to snap one day like Batista did."_

Randy paused a bit before responding. _"I hope you're right."_

The trip was otherwise filled with lots of car games and even some songs, most of which Shawn couldn't stand. Hunter sang really loudly just to piss his friend off. Lilian, however, amazed the car with her voice. Before long, the group found themselves at the arena. While everyone else got out of the car and unpacked all their things, Randy took Lilian to the side.

"I know this isn't such a great time to ask you this … but when do you want to get married?"

Lilian jokingly scoffed at her fiancée, cocking her head to the side. "You're right. This _isn't_ such a great time to ask me this. We should sit down and talk about this one day. I'm not one to rush things, unlike Camilla."

Randy looked down to the ground and blushed. Sheepishly, he muttered, "Sorry."

Lilian smiled and cupped Randy's chin in her hand. Pulling their faces together, Lilian kissed her fiancée.

"Be careful out there tonight. I have to go out there and greet the people waiting in line."

Randy received one more peck on the cheek before Lilian turned around and left. Orton returned to the group and helped carry the bags to the locker room.

"About time you showed up", quipped Matt. "Where'd you go?"

"I said goodbye to Lilian. Wanna take some time and go warm up?"

Matt laughed a little at Randy's brevity and nodded. After fifteen minutes, the brothers emerged once again in matching ring gear; this time, both Ortons sported gold tights instead of last week's orange.

"Damn, guys", Hunter mentioned. "How many colors do you have in that bag?"

"Every color of the rainbow, really. Mom's made everything from white to black to bronze to gold, as you can see."

Hunter's eyes narrowed and a surprised grin spread over his face. "Your _mom_ makes your tights?" Both elder DX members started to laugh.

"Shut up, Hunter!", quipped Randy before punching him in the shoulder. To Randy, it felt weird doing what he just did. Punching Hunter with non-malicious intentions wasn't something that happened very often. Before Hunter had a chance to punch back though, the brothers dashed out of the room towards the ring.

"We should go out to the line outside and see how long it is", suggested Matt.

"Why? We'd get mobbed and possibly stampeded over. You know how many chicks are out there."

"Huh. First time I hear my brother refuse the chance to meet girls."

"Shut it before I knock your teeth out."

Matt dodged a punch and struck Randy in the shoulder with one of his own.

"Oh, come on. It's not like it would hurt going out there and meeting the fans. Besides, isn't Lilian out there signing autographs or something?"

Randy nodded, acknowledging the possibility of seeing his fiancée one last time before the show started. Creeping out one of the side entrances to the main arena, the brothers saw the main set of doors leading outside to where the line was. Randy's jaw was on the ground, but for Matt, it was par for the course. That night in San Antonio, Matt was one of the first ones there, arriving four and a half hours before the doors were scheduled to open and being sixth in line. As the hours passed, the line steadily grew behind him. Right at 6:45 PM, Matt looked behind him to see the line extending all the way down the street and behind some buildings that were out of view.

"Hey …", Randy nudged Matt on the shoulder, "… aren't those your friends?"

Matt didn't want to believe it, but sure enough, Michael, Adrian, and Travis were standing at the front of the line. With still an hour before the doors opened, Matt decided to have a little bit of fun.

"Watch this."

The younger Orton crept up to the door where the trio of loyal fans were standing. Michael had the back of his head against the glass pane of the door and Matt sharply knocked on it three times. Michael nearly fell flat on his rear end and Orton was on the floor, cracking up. However, his little escapade backfired when the whole line turned around and saw the Orton brothers beyond the doors. Matt got back up and stood next to Randy as security had to restrain some of the fans.

"_You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"_

"_Time to take over the world?"_

"_We're not watching cartoons, dummy. Pose."_

The only thing missing was the golden pyro behind them. Both men could hear the screaming of some of the female fans, putting a smile on their faces. Randy's eyes scanned the area for Lilian, but he had little success; everyone had their faces pressed against the doors, blocking much of the view.

"And you waited out here for four and a half hours that night?", asked Randy.

"I would have done it again and again if I hadn't met you. It gets exciting that last hour as everyone starts to pour in. And then when the doors open and I actually walked into that arena … my heart was in my throat, I was so excited."

"What are you boys doing out here?", came a voice behind them.

Randy and Matt spun around to see Lilian walk out from one of the arena entrances. Most of the men outside were now getting their chance to whistle and yell out. Lilian shrugged and waved at the line in front of her.

"Didn't you two see Eric and John warming up in the ring already? They wanted to …"

The brothers looked at each other and quickly ran off to investigate. Lilian looked flabbergasted, but shrugged it off and went to outside to sign autographs. Upon getting to ringside, Matt and Randy expected to see a full-on brawl. However, their pace slowed to a slow walk when they realized John and Eric were just running and rebounding off the ropes perpendicular to each other, trying not to have a full on collision. Instead of scowls and anger on the faces of the two men, Cena and Barringer looked like they were having the times of their lives. John caught sight of Randy and Matt and stopped in the middle of the ring.

"What are you guys doing here?"

Eric had to stop himself and nearly fell over to avoid smacking right into John. The brothers looked at each other, relieved that the two opponents weren't tearing each other apart, but confused as to why it wasn't happening. John and Eric looked at each other, then at Randy and Matt.

"What?", asked John. "Did you expect us to be kicking each other's ass?"

Randy uneasily scratched the back of his head. "Well … yeah. Sort of."

"Listen, I know what you're thinking", Cena replied. "I may be intense. I may be volatile, but I'm not crazy. Even Eric here knows that", John said, putting his arm around Eric like they had been best friends for life. "This is only going to strengthen the bond between us."

Matt was now utterly confused. Cena had rarely acted this way with anyone before, and if John did, it was with him, not Eric. Randy could sense this and tried to knock Matt's thoughts around by shoving him into the ring apron.

"Whoa, boys!", cried out a familiar voice from the stage. The group turned around to see Stone Cold himself walking down the ramp. "Don't go tearin' each other up now! I've got plans for each of ya tonight. Barringer, you and Cena better put on one hell of a show tonight."

"I think we can manage to wow the crowd", Eric said rather confidently, looking back at Cena and slamming fists together.

"Because you two are going to have to show up that pair behind ya! Randy! Matt! Ready to kick each other's ass again?"

Matt's face lit up like a neon sign at a bar. "Is it for the title?"

"No … but if you beat him tonight, you'll get a title shot next week!"

The Ortons stared each other down, with Austin, Barringer, and Cena looking on at them.

"_You best be ready to defend that belt next week."_

"_Stand down, little man. I've got your number."_

* * *

The arena had been filled with thousands of eager and applauding fans for an hour now … and Michael, Adrian, and Travis, who had managed to land seats right behind J.R. and the King, who didn't exactly enjoy having the raucous group behind them. By now, the dark matches had ended, with Bradshaw getting a win over Shelton Benjamin. 

Standing outside the locker room door, Matt could see Eric and John waiting by the curtain, chatting it up. Orton was still bowled over by the sudden friendship between the two; Eric and John didn't always get along.

"_Can that really be genuine?"_

"_Why would they fake something like that?"_

Matt looked behind him to see his brother, Intercontinental belt hoisted prominently on his shoulder, walk up beside him.

"_I don't know … but it seems … it seems so … __**fabricated**__." _

"_There's no reason for them to put us on like that. They're going up against each other for a shot at the big one. Maybe Cena's finally come around."_

"…… _maybe."_

After the big pyro opening that usually preceded the beginning of the live broadcast, everyone was surprised to hear glass shatter. Stone Cold Steve Austin himself came out to start RAW. After the mandatory raised middle fingers at each turnbuckle, the General Manager had a few words to say.

"Now … last week, we had our World Heavyweight Champion get the crap beat out of him!" Austin paused and smiled at the approval from the crowd. "Unfortunately for Batista, he's got a major concussion and a broken jaw."

Randy and Matt both looked at each other, wide-eyed.

"We did _that?_", a surprised younger brother exclaimed.

"Fortunately, for RAW", Austin continued, "that means that the World Heavyweight Championship is now vacant. And since we've already got two possible #1 contenders waiting behind that curtain to start their best-of-five series, I'm gonna add one more stipulation. The winner of the series will become the_ new_ World champ!"

The DX/Evolution locker room took a collective deep breath, _especially_ Randy and Matt. They all knew that this would only fuel the fire that was fixing to pass through that curtain. As usual, the crowd went nuts at the announcement of the match between the brothers as well as what was at stake. An unexpected tag match was made by the GM as well: DX against Test & Scott Steiner. Sitting at ringside, J.R. was looking forward to seeing Hunter take apart Steiner again.

"**BREAK IT DOWN!**"

After Austin had taken a seat at the announcer's table, Eric made his entrance, eagerly getting to the ring. With the World Heavyweight Championship now directly at stake as well as the possibility of becoming the youngest World champ in the history of the company, Barringer was exuberant, yet focused. After making a few crotch chops, Eric finally calmed down and turned towards the entrance.

Back behind the curtain, Cena was waiting for his music to hit. RAW hadn't heard 'Basic Thuganomics' in quite a while, and John was raring to hear it. After a short pause with nothing happening, Cena looked over to the sound guy, who was looking behind him wide-eyed. Confused, John spun around, only to see someone he didn't quite recognize at first glance. Looking up into this man's eyes, an overwhelming sense of fear characterized his facade.

"I've got to finish some business", spoke the man.

Now sweating and shaking like it was 20 degrees in the building, Cena nodded and moved out of the way. In the ring, Eric was getting impatient. He knew John was standing right behind the curtain, and was wondering what the hell was taking so long.

Then the lights went dark. At first, Barringer thought it was a power failure. However, looking behind him, Eric could see the faint glow produced by the screens in front of J.R., the King, and Austin.

"_What the devil is going …"_

"**GONG!**"

Eric's heart dropped to his stomach. Images from his childhood ran rampant in his head.

"_The lights don't go out when he comes out here anymore …"_

At that moment, an eerie blue glow overcame the arena and a layer of fog covered the space between the stage and the ring.

"**GONG!**"

A large, black silhouette appeared from behind the curtain. Someone with a long, dark robe. Someone with a black hat. With a 'gong' going off every five seconds, the figure made its way down to ringside. Eric trembled at the man approaching him.

"_No …that's not him … he's supposed to come down here on a motorcycle … I …I beat him at Bad Blood and the night afterward … this __**can't be happening!**__"_

The black figure stepped onto the stairs at one end of the ring.

"**GONG!**"

With a slow, but fluid motion of his arms, the lights came back on, revealing the Undertaker standing mere feet from Eric. Barringer felt like he wanted to cry. His feet stood rooted to the spot even thought Eric wanted desperately to run. Before he knew it, Eric found Taker standing right in front of him. His jaw trembling, Eric saw Taker's hand move.

But the Deadman merely extended a hand to the youngest DX member. Confused, Eric looked up at the Phenom in front of him.

"…… _you've__**got**__ to be kidding me."_

His hand quivering, Barringer slowly accepted Taker's. Naturally, the crowd started a round of applause and cheers. Taker gave the slightest of nods, and the lights went dark again. A few seconds passed, and the lights came back on to reveal no Undertaker in sight.

"…… _did that just really happen?"_

* * *

_An interesting new situation has made itself apparent. Is John Cena the next bad seed? Will the added prize of the World Heavyweight Championship cause tension to rise even further than its current level? And if Cena isn't the bad seed, who is_

_Also, the match between the brothers ends curiously. And what of the gesture Eric received from the Undertaker?_

_Another chapter down. The next one will be number __**sixty**__. Jeez …_

_Hope you enjoyed it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	60. Therapy

_Again, guys, I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I hate college. _

_Anyway, we'll continue the events of RAW. Eric vs. John #1, as well as Randy vs. Matt # … well, I've lost count. Also, Shawn & Hunter face Test & Steiner. After Monday comes and goes, Cena reveals a part of himself he kept hidden for a long time._

_Hope you like it!_

* * *

Even with 'Basic Thuganomics' blaring throughout the arena, Eric still couldn't shake off the effects of what had just transpired. The Undertaker had come out to the ring, but not as the man Eric had gotten used to. The youngest DX member wasn't scared of the Undertaker who tried to intimidate him with sinister leers, loud motorcycles, and empty threats. Barringer _was_, however, still scared of the Undertaker from his childhood: the dark, eerie, enigmatic man that would send Eric running from the room whenever he would watch the WWE with Matt. 

"_Taker __**shook**__ my hand?!"_, Eric asked himself repeatedly. _"He actually shook my hand … why … why in the hell would he do that? Does he respect me now? What the hell does that mean?"_

"Yo … Eric! You okay?", Cena asked, waving a hand in front of Eric's face. John had finished his entrance, but Barringer was still standing blank-faced in the middle of the ring. Eric finally came to his senses with the aid of a little nudge from the referee. With minimal time to gather his wits, Eric backed off into a corner as the referee rang the bell. As a courtesy, John did the same to allow Barringer another second or two.

Backstage, Randy and Matt watched the match get underway.

"_Who do you think'll pull it off?"_, asked Randy.

There was a long pause where Matt didn't respond. Confused, Randy tried to get into Matt's thoughts, but wasn't able to do so.

"Dude … what's wrong?"

Matt seemed to shake off his 'trance' state and looked at his brother, then pointed at the screen.

"Look at what's in Cena's pocket."

The older Orton looked up to the monitor to finally catch what caught so much of his brother's attention: Cena had brought the chain down to the ring; part of it was hanging out of his right pocket.

"It just rubs me the wrong way", stated Matt coldly. "It just makes me think he'll use it to win the match somehow. He doesn't wanna just trust in his abilities."

"Or maybe he's just getting gold hungry", Randy retorted. Matt cocked his head to the side, looking confused, while Randy continued. "We've been down this road before. He wants to keep that tag team belt as long as he can, and with a shot at the World title, he might blow away anything that gets in his way. I know you don't want to believe it, Matt, but its true!" Exasperated, Randy shook his head and looked down to the floor. "Sometimes I wish that Cena was coming after the Intercontinental title instead."

"What? And make this worse?", Matt responded bitterly.

"You guys shouldn't be worrying about this."

Randy and Matt turned around to find Shawn and Hunter standing behind them, HBK with that fatherly look on his face.

"If Cena tries to pull anything, we'll be out there to get him. To tell you the truth, I think we've all seen how John has been separating himself from us lately. If he can't mingle with us outside the ring, he doesn't deserve to be in the family."

Naturally, Matt wanted to protest, but stopped before he said anything. _"He's right",_ Matt thought to himself. _"He's absolutely right. Best friend or not, John has to lighten up if he wants to be in Evolution. We're not about titles. We're about friendship and family. If that World Heavyweight Championship is going to drive John crazy and cause him to turn on us …"_

"_We may already be too late."_

Looking over at his brother, Matt saw Randy point to the screen. Eric was laid out on his stomach, trying to get to his feet. Meanwhile, Cena looked as if he was in position for the FU, but the shine of Cena's chain could be seen wrapped around his fist. Shawn and Hunter looked at each other and nodded, but both of them were left eating Matt's dust; the younger Orton had already gotten up and sprinted out of the room.

"_Stay down, Eric! For the love of God, please don't get up!", _Matt prayed. He could see the curtain getting closer and closer, his heart rate shooting to levels Matt didn't know he had. Blasting by the sound guy, Orton ran down the ramp and onto the apron. Although it was his job to restrain Matt, the ref saw the fierce look on Orton's face and backed off. With Eric still sprawled out on the ground, John now focused on his tag team partner.

"Why the hell are you down here?", Cena yelled. "I'm about to win the match!"

"Not with _that_ you aren't", Matt responded, pointing to the chain wrapped around John's fist. "Give … _that _… to me."

"But I was about to win the match!", Cena repeated, whining like a little boy.

"By cheating? By ramming that weapon into Eric's forehead? And what will that accomplish? You'll get yourself disqualified and you'll lose the respect that the rest of the group has for you! Give me the damn chain!"

John was hesitant at first, gritting his teeth and staring down his partner. However, after Matt didn't change his visage, John reluctantly unwrapped the chain from his fist and threw it at Orton. Matt grabbed the chain, tossed it to the floor, and dropped to ringside.

"Now finish the match honorably! I'm sick and tired of you thinking that you have to cheat! What's it gonna take to finally get you to stop this crap, huh?!"

Cena looked like he was a little kid who just got scolded by his father. Going back to the match, John lifted a still stumbling Eric off of the ground and onto his shoulders in position for the FU. However, instead of finishing the match, John leered down directly in Matt's eyes. Orton didn't see his best friend then; John looked like only a shell of himself. Cena stared at him as a mannequin would a customer in a mall; Matt, suffice to say, was thoroughly creeped out.

"What are you waiting for? Finish him!"

But Cena didn't do anything. His eyes were locked on those of his partner down by ringside. Matt turned over to Lilian sitting next to the announcer's table, who promptly shrugged her shoulders. Looking back to Cena, Matt noticed Eric coming to his senses. Barringer elbowed Cena a couple of times to shake himself loose. Matt looked on in disbelief as Eric took Cena down to the ground with a drop toe hold and locked in the Camel Clutch. Putting his hands on his head in frustration, Orton could only watch as his tag partner tapped out.

"Here is your winner, Eric Barringer!", Lilian announced, still confused as to why Cena didn't take advantage of his position. Eric quickly moved up the ramp, raising his hand in the air in triumph. Meanwhile, Matt hadn't moved an inch; he was still in complete shock at Eric actually getting the victory. Cena clutched at the back of his neck and his lower back, trying to alleviate some of the pain.

"_Why the hell … why the hell did you not … you stupid idiot …"_

Taking pity on his partner, Matt reached in and grabbed John's hand to pull him out to ringside. The ref handed Matt John's belt and Orton took it upon himself to put it around Cena's waist in an effort to bolster John's spirits.

"I'm … I'm sorry", muttered John. "I couldn't allow myself to win after what I pulled. You're right; I'm better than that."

"Look, I'm cool with you, John. You gave me the chain and didn't cheat. You still might have to answer to Shawn and Hunter though; they're not gonna like what you tried to pull."

"I'll deal with it. That, and I'll just have to work harder to pull through and win this. Listen, I'm gonna head over to the trainer's and get a bag of ice. My neck is killin' me."

John walked off in the opposite direction while Matt folded his arms in thought.

"_I'll never understand that man. What the hell happened to him in college that made him so freaking unsure of himself? I mean, his friends were jackasses, but something like that can't give him that sort of a complex …can it?"_

"_Shut the hell up and face me."_

Matt spun around to see his brother, only to get his own tag belt shoved in his chest.

"You better be ready for a beat down, chump", Randy exclaimed, that trademark Orton smirk across his face.

"You know, no matter what happens or who wins, I'll never get tired of this", Matt responded, punching Randy in the shoulder. Randy punched back for good measure as 'Line in the Sand' started to play in the arena. The brothers looked at each other for a quick second before Randy uttered …

"Challengers first."

"Not that way for long. Next week, I'll …"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Get your ass out there."

As Matt stepped out onto the platform and Randy waited for his turn, someone else had their eyes on Randy's Intercontinental title.

"_That Orton kid isn't the only one in the title picture. He's had his chances. It's __**my**__ turn now."_

* * *

"Introducing first, from San Antonio, Texas, weighing in at 241 pounds, Matthew Orton!" 

The golden pyro lit up the stage behind Matt as he posed to the crowd. With 2 extra pounds of pure muscle and matching gold tights, Orton walked down to the ring and anticipated his brother's entrance. Backstage, Camilla was smiling, admiring the body of her soon-to-be husband. Shawn and Hunter were watching Camilla drooling over the monitor.

"Heh … kids", HBK chuckled. "Reminds you how old you are."

"You're not _that_ old, Shawn. You're what … thirty-seven?"

"In this business …_that's _old."

Their brief conversation was broken by the sound of the door opening. Camilla paid it no mind, still adoring her fiancée, but HBK and HHH welcomed the arrival of their comrade, Eric.

"Barringer, I gotta admit, I thought you were a goner there", Hunter said while shaking Eric's hand. "Just two more and you'll have that belt around your waist."

"You're not gonna go after me once I win, are ya?"

Hunter smiled, but shook his head. "I've missed too much time without Shawn by my side. We'll be too occupied with the World Tag Team Championships for me to go after you. But … give it some time … and we'll be after that belt."

Eric couldn't believe the amount of respect he was getting. In almost a year out of high school, Barringer had worked his way through losing and gaining best friends, and a possible World title could be on his waist in the future. "I'll be waiting for you. Win the Rumble and I'll see you at WrestleMania."

Shawn's paternal instinct kicked in. "Now, don't go counting your eggs before they hatch. You've still got two matches to win. And, to be honest, if it weren't for Matt going out there and distracting John, you would have had your back to the mat. And speak of the devil …"

Cena had just walked in, a bag of ice on the back of his neck. The two elder DX members immediately stepped in front of the only Evolution member not focused on what was going on in the ring. John looked up to see two pissed off faces in front of him.

"Cena", barked Hunter, in an angry voice the whole room hadn't heard in quite a while, "if you try to pull something like that again, we'll have your ass on a …"

"Hold on, Hunter. Hold on." Eric came up beside his teammates and stood in between them and Cena. "Give the guy a break. He didn't end up doing what he wanted to. We should give him that."

"Cena shouldn't have brought that damn chain to the ring in the first place", snapped back Hunter. "If he wants to cheat, then let him rot somewhere else."

"I said I was sorry!", cried a voice from behind Eric. The focus was now on Cena. Even Camilla took her attention away from the match on the monitor to see what was going on.

"Listen … I … I'm just not confident in myself. I don't …"

"Why?", asked Camilla. "Why aren't you confident? You're one half of the World Tag Team Champions! You're a great wrestler! You had the match won until you took out that chain!"

"She's right", said HBK. "You would have been 1-0 instead of 0-1 had you not screwed up."

"I know … I'm not … I'm not a bad person. I'm not what you used to be, Hunter. I'm not someone like that. It's just … I've had some crappy things go on in my life and it's caused me to act like this." Cena took the bag of ice off his neck and plopped down on a nearby bench. "I just need a drink."

Shawn and Hunter had managed to calm down and went back to their earlier conversation. Cena got back up and went outside to get himself the drink he needed. Eric dried the sweat off and sat down next to Camilla to watch the rest of the match between the two brothers.

In the ring, Randy had successfully caught Matt in a sleeper hold. The older brother could sense his moment of triumph when Matt fell to one knee. However, Matt used what little strength he had left to force himself up and carry Randy backwards to the turnbuckle. The impact on Randy's back caused the grip to loosen, and Matt managed to slip out. Randy fell down and sat in the corner, while Matt fell back to his knees to catch his breath.

Both brothers had already been victims of RKOs: Randy had caught Matt in one at the very beginning of the match and Matt retaliated with one of his own after just barely kicking out. Randy then launched a technical assault, something the fans hadn't seen very much of out of the Intercontinental Champion. Matt managed to escape roll-up pins, random submission holds, and a numerous amount of suplexes, only managing to regain the upper hand after reversing one of the suplexes into an MKO.

The younger Orton could sense the tension in the crowd; he was just moments away from becoming the #1 contender to Randy's title. He could see the fans pointing at him, cheering him on.

But the fans weren't pointing at him. What Matt thought were cheers were actually warnings from his half of the crowd to avoid what was behind him. Matt turned around to see a split second image of his brother readying another RKO. Randy sprung up and wrapped his arm around Matt's neck, but Matt managed to block the move, pushing his brother back to the turnbuckle. Randy stumbled into the middle of the ring into one of Matt's kicks to the stomach. Seizing his opportunity, Matt hit the MKO without giving Randy the chance to reverse it.

"1, 2, 3!"

"Here is your winner and the new #1 contend…"

The sound of the microphone was cut off when someone forcefully took it from Lilian at ringside. Matt pulled Randy to his feet when he realized that Chris Jericho was holding both the microphone and the Intercontinental title. Although Randy's head was killing him, he managed to recognize what was going on.

"Matt … let's face it", Jericho started, climbing into the ring while he was talking, "you've had enough chances at this belt. It's time for some new life to be pumped into this floundering title division. _I _should be the #1 contender to this title. _I _should have been in this match. _I _should have been the one to kick your brother's ass!"

Randy reached over and snatched the microphone away. "Who the hell do you think you are? You've done nothing to deserve a shot at _my_ title!" Randy then snatched away his belt away from Jericho. Chris got the microphone back, now inflamed with anger at being embarrassed in the middle of the ring.

"Never … **eeeeeever** … do something like that to me again, Orton!"

Randy and Matt looked at each other, shrugged, and instantly hit Jericho with a double RKO, leaving the intruder face down in the middle of the ring. Lilian slipped Matt's tag belt to him as 'Line in the Sand' started to play. Standing over Jericho's body, each brother held their belt up in the air.

"_We're not gonna let this bastard have a chance, right?"_

"_Damn straight."_

* * *

The next Wednesday afternoon, Matt, John, Randy, and Camilla were sitting in front of the television at the house. DX was in San Antonio, celebrating Eric's first step to getting to the World Heavyweight Championship. In St. Louis, John and Matt were increasingly getting concerned from the results of the tag match between DX and Test & Scott Steiner. Shawn and Hunter acted flawlessly as a unit; considering who they were going up against, this was no small feat. 

"We're gonna have to really step up our game to beat them", John stated.

"It's nothing we can't accomplish, right?", Matt asked, evaluating John's attitude. Giving Matt the reaction he wanted, John confidently nodded and gave Matt a high-five. "Tell me … what happened when you were in college? What made you think this way?"

The joviality disappeared from John's face, replaced with a look of avoidance and desperation. "I really don't wanna talk about it, bro. It's something I'm not proud of."

At the risk of sounding like a jackass, Matt leaned in and said, "John, the first step to getting rid of this is admitting you have a problem. Until then, you're just gonna relapse into this state of mind over and over again."

John produced no visible response. Matt rolled his eyes, shook his head, and dove right back into the bag of marshmallows he had pulled out of the pantry.

"I was in a frat in college."

The remaining three Evolution members all swung their heads toward John, now focusing on his story instead of the movie on the TV.

"I really don't know why. I didn't fit in. Everyone else had an engineering, science, or business major … I was the only one going towards a major in Kinesiology. I guess I just joined because I wanted a group of friends to hang out with. They all were weed smoking, beer drinking, sex addicts. Every night, it was a new group of girls they brought home. It still boggles me to this day that no one got in trouble for anything. Anyway, it was rush week and naturally, we've got ten or twelve pledges trying to get in."

"Do we really want to listen to the rest?", Camilla chimed in.

"It's nothing gross … at least what relates to this story", Cena replied. "The one thing I was happy about doing was competitions between the brothers and the pledges. One of them was something we called 'Do-or-Die'. The pledge would have to win whatever contest they drew from the hat against whatever brother they drew from another hat. If they lost, they would be instantly de-pledged right then and there. That's why there were hardly any brothers; only a couple pledges made it through every year. Well … a lot of the contests were stupid … really freaking stupid. Beer drinking contests, pizza eating contests … hell, one of them was whoever could bring a girl into the house first and have sex with her."

Randy, Matt, and Camilla were now thoroughly freaked out.

"_I'm glad I didn't go to college"_, thought Matt.

"I got drawn against the youngest of the pledges, some 18-year old kid straight out of high school. The thing was … I had actually gotten along with him. He was a good kid. He had drawn a Greco-Roman match from the hat, so I was confident. But when our contest begun, he was kicking my ass at first, making me look really, really bad. The good part of me on my left shoulder told me to let the kid win to stay in the frat. But that little devil sitting on my right shoulder told me to keep my image up to the rest of the brothers. So … I cheated. I kneed the guy in the crotch and pinned him. But the thing is … I didn't feel bad. My frat brothers cheered me on and slapped me on the back. I felt accepted. It wasn't until I saw the look on my friend's face when I realized what I had just done."

A long pause occupied the living room, interrupted only by the sound of Matt digging around in the middle of his bag of marshmallows.

"I cheated just to uphold my image. All at the cost of probably the only real friend I had. I couldn't stand the guilt … and so I left the frat. Nearly dropped out of college too. Now, for some reason, you're reminding me of that one friend I had, Matt. And … for some reason … those same feelings of wanting to cheat are coming back … and I can't control them."

Randy and Camilla looked over at Matt, who was stuck with his eyes wide open in surprise and a marshmallow half hanging out of his mouth.

* * *

_The Cena situation continues to develop next chapter, when Matt makes sure that he gets directly involved with the second match in the best-of-5 series. Also, RAW's General Manager suggests a remedy for Jericho's claim to the #1 contendership to Randy's belt._

_(**A/N:**__ You know, I never thought about this until now. But if you're wondering just what the MKO actually is, here is an animated GIF: __http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/7443/kikrusher99ur6.gif_

_It's pretty close to what I had envisioned for Matt's finisher.)_


	61. Confidence

_After Cena spills the beans on why he's acting the way he is, Matt must deal with the similarities between Cena's former college friend and himself. How will this change his friendship with the Doctor of Thuganomics? And, with Matt and Camilla's wedding only one week away, when will Randy and Lilian decide to tie the knot? Then, at the beginning of the next Monday Night RAW, Matt decides to stand up to the General Manager to get something he's desperately been wanting to do._

_Here we go!_

* * *

The rest of the week was fairly awkward. Even though Cena hadn't done anything directly, Matt tended to stay away from his tag partner. Matt didn't eat dinner with everyone else; granted, he saw down and ate whenever Cena wasn't at the table, but he picked up his dinner and took it to his room once John sat down. The same happened with every room and activity in the house: the pool, the weight room, the game room, even the living room. Cena didn't bother to protest because he knew exactly what was troubling Matt. When DX came to the house for the weekend, Shawn, Hunter, and Eric were confused until Randy retold the whole story. 

"So John feels like he's going to lose Matt the same way he did that friend in the fraternity?", asked Shawn.

"Yeah, that's what it seems like", Randy answered. "I mean, check the similarities. The kid was 18 years old, and so is Matthew. John gets along with Matt the best out of all of us, just like he did with the kid. And, to put it frankly, besides Camilla, we're basically a brotherhood just like Cena's frat. Matt and John are thinking that history will repeat itself, and both of them are freaking out about it."

"And they're tag champs…", Camilla commented. "This is a disaster waiting to happen."

"Well, we should just dump Cena", suggested Hunter. "Eliminate the risk and we don't have to worry about what might happen."

"It's not that simple", replied Randy quickly. "Matt has this thing with friendship. He can't just let go of somebody, no matter what the reason. He felt the same way with Batista."

"Wait, _what?_", snapped Camilla. "When did he feel like this?"

"Not too long ago. He explained to me that it was just Dave getting frustrated over something. Nothing more. And since he likes to destroy things when he's mad … we were the closest nearby for him to grab. To him, Batista was part of the group, and he felt close to him. Whenever Batista attacked us, Matt tried to find a way to explain it all and try to convince himself that he and Dave were still on good terms."

Shawn sighed and spoke up. "It sounds to me like Matt and John both have their own sets of mental problems."

"Matt's problem doesn't have the potential to harm us, though. With John … well … its already got us on edge. Eric could be in trouble … and so could Matt."

Camilla could hear the concern in Randy's voice, and it shook her to the core. To her, it seemed that the loss of another member of Evolution would crack Randy's resolve in two.

The sound of the back door opening caught everyone's attention, and Matt walked inside, still dripping wet from being in the pool. Drying himself off with a towel as best he could, Matt entered the living room and smiled upon seeing DX.

"Hey guys! When did you three get here?", asked a rather happy Orton.

"Uh … about three minutes ago", responded Eric. "Get your ass back out there; I want to jump in that pool. It's too damn hot not to."

A general sense of agreement came over the group as everyone scattered to get into the proper attire. Matt contemplated following Camilla upstairs, but decided against it. He didn't want to get a slap in the face from his fiancée … or worse, a Sharpshooter. Deciding to run a bit on the treadmill before everyone got ready to jump in the pool, Matt walked over to the workout room. However, as he was entering, John Cena was leaving and the two bumped into each other. Matt instantly turned around to leave.

"Wait! Matt, can I at least talk to you?"

Orton didn't say anything. Matt silently walked back into the living room and plopped down onto the couch before turning on the television. John soon interrupted Matt's line of vision.

"Will you stop being a jackass and just listen to what I have to say to you?!"

"Why should I?", answered Orton tersely. "I can't trust you anymore, John. You'll just screw me over like you did your little friend! How am I going to be any different?!"

"**I'M NOT GOING TO LOSE YOU LIKE I DID MATT!**", Cena screamed at the top of his lungs. However, he face went pale at the realization of what he had just said.

Orton thought Cena had misspoke. "Who?", Matt asked, not believing his ears. "Who did you say it was?"

There was a reason Cena left out the name of his friend. "His … his name was Matt too. But that … that's just a coincidence. Nothing more. Matt, I'm not going to be an idiot and reject the only friend I've made. I'm not going to be an goddamn idiot! I don't care what I have to do; I'm going to stop myself from making the same mistake twice!"

For the first time that week, Orton's hostility towards his tag partner vanished. Matt stood up and stared his partner down.

"Give me your word", he said coldly.

Cena took a deep breath before stating the following: "Matt, upon my life and my career, I will not turn my back on you. Nothing will come between me, you, or this family."

Matt managed to creak out a small smile and looked out the window. Everyone was already in the pool, including Lilian, who Matt surmised arrived while he and Cena were outside the weight room.

"Cena … we're friends. I give you respect and you give me respect. I love you like a brother. I love you like you're family."

"I know. And I won't let you down."

A small silence filled the living room before someone opened the back door and poked their head inside.

"This is the part where you two kiss and make up!", shouted Camilla.

Matt and John laughed before chasing Camilla back to the pool. Orton caught up to his fiancée and threw her overhead into the water before getting shoved into the pool himself by Cena.

"_You okay with him now?"_, thought Randy to his brother as Matt resurfaced.

"_Yes. For now. But still, keep your eye on him."_

* * *

After the group had a relaxing afternoon outside playing volleyball in the pool, John and Matt went over to the backyard ring to have a sparring match. Camilla, Hunter, Shawn, and Eric went inside to start preparing the night's dinner while Randy and Lilian stayed behind to watch the match. While the tag champs grappled with each other in the ring, Randy slipped his hand through his fiancée's hair. 

"I feel like we should have a giant bucket of popcorn in front of us", Lilian said. "This is like watching a movie."

"A movie?", questioned Randy. "You really think that this is exciting?"

Lilian looked at Randy like he was a complete and total idiot. "Of course I do! You think I would be a ring announcer if I didn't? I even take sides sometimes!"

"Take sides? So … who do you cheer for when Matt and I are in the ring against each other?"

Lilian smiled, but hesitated to answer. "Well … Matt _is_ the better wrestler."

Randy heard a snicker from inside the ring before turning to his fiancée. "Oh, come on! I can run light years around Matt!"

"Then why did he beat you last week?", Lilian asked coyly. "And plus, he's got a chance at your title next week. With the momentum from Monday, he'll be a fan favorite."

"Now you're saying the fans like him more than me? Don't you remember the chants? They were split down the middle! And its not like he's got a better record over me!"

"As a matter of fact", Lilian said, "you two are square even against each other, 2-2. This'll be the deciding match this upcoming Monday."

"And you'll be in_my_ corner, right?"

"… maybe … if you'll be in my corner _tonight_", Lilian replied suggestively.

"_Heh … I've still got it",_ thought Randy.

"_You know I'd be in your position if I wasn't waiting until marriage."_

Randy looked in the ring to see his brother smiling mischievously towards the couple. However, a groggy Cena was getting to his feet behind Matt. With the younger Orton's attention on his brother, John took advantage and set himself up for an FU.

"You better turn around!", yelled out Randy. "Before you …"

Matt instantly did a 180-degree turn and walked right into John lifting him up in position for the FU, quickly slamming him down to the canvas. Randy sprung up from his lawn chair and slid into the ring for a fast three-count. Both John and Randy slipped out of the ring before Matt had a chance to get his hands on them.

"No fair!", cried out Matt. "That … that was a fast…"

"… that was me beating you!", said Cena, completing Matt's sentence. Rolling his eyes, Matt looked over to his brother with a look of amazement and incredulity.

"_What the hell was that for?"_

"_Chill. Giving Cena a win over you could be the thing that cures him. Suck up your pride and let it go."_

"_So we're psychiatrists now? You know I'm going to get you for this, right?"_

"_Shut up and come inside. I'm hungry."_

The younger Orton reluctantly exited the ring and threw his shirt back on. Randy, John, Lilian, and Matt all walked in the house to the smell of something sweet baking in the oven. Shawn, Hunter, and Eric were seen sitting in the living room, who were joined quickly by John and Matt. Randy and Lilian stayed behind in the kitchen, where Camilla was managing the baking. She watched her future brother-in-law snuggle up to his fiancée and smile.

"You two couldn't make a cuter couple", Camilla blurted out. "You almost always have a smile on your face when you're around Lilian, Randy. It makes me happy that you've finally found someone that you can give your heart to."

Upon hearing the word 'heart', Randy was reminded of the heart-shaped pendant he received for his birthday from Torrie. Only for a moment did the look of peace and tranquility vanish from Orton's face; Lilian cupped Randy's chin in her hand and gave him a short kiss. Randy smirked, not only because of how special Lilian made him feel, but also because of an idea entering his head.

"Christmas."

"Christmas?", Lilian asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Let's get married on Christmas Day. We would give to one another the gift of our hearts."

Camilla's own heart nearly melted at the flawlessness of the moment. She could see a tear forming in Lilian's eye and almost started crying herself. Matt sensed his brother's emotions going all over the place and looked over his shoulder to see what was going on. Camilla left the kitchen and took a seat next to her fiancée, wanting to prevent more of her tears from flowing.

"If that's all its gonna take to make you cry, you may flood the backyard next week during the ceremony", Matt said.

* * *

The sound of glass shattering followed the opening pyro for June 30th's Monday Night RAW. The whole arena was on fire for the General Manager, who grabbed a couple of beers and three chairs from ringside before climbing into the squared circle. After his mandatory four-corner salute, Stone Cold set the chairs up in the middle of the ring and sat down in one of them himself, opening one of his beers and taking a sip. 

"Now …", Stone Cold said, letting the roar of the fans die down a bit, "… last week, we had a couple little screw-ups pop up on Stone Cold's show. First, we had … well … we had someone who I thought was main-event material nearly screw up his chances at that World Heavyweight Championship."

A short round of boos followed and backstage, Cena grimaced, hating the way the fans responded to him.

"But…", Austin continued, "I understand I have someone back there in the locker room who doesn't want to let that happen again. And I'm not one to let a fellow Texan down. Come on out here, son!"

'Line in the Sand' started to play, and Cena as well as Barringer were now confused. Matt came out ready to compete, gold tights and all, wearing an Evolution t-shirt. He was obviously pumped about his title match with Randy later on tonight. Matt took one of the two remaining seats across from the General Manager and received a microphone from Lilian.

"Now, Orton, you got somethin' to ask me?"

"Stone Cold," Matt began, "I feel like I have a personal responsibility for what happened last week between Eric and John. Those two men are my best friends and I…"

Austin put a hand up in the air, stopping Matt in mid-sentence.

"Orton, you had_nothing_ to do with what happened. Stop making excuses and ask me what you came down here to ask!", Austin said with a bit of hostility in his voice.

"I … I want to be the special referee for the rest of the of the series", Matt responded tersely.

The audience broke into murmurs; a mixed reaction characterized everyone in the building. Backstage, John and Eric looked at each other strangely, not knowing whether or not this would be a good thing. Each of them suspected the other of putting Matt up to this, wanting an extra ace-in-the-hole just in case something went wrong. Shawn and Hunter naturally came to the defense of Eric while Randy and Camilla backed up John. While the group seemed split on Matt's intentions, Austin took another sip of his beer and looked the younger Orton straight in the eyes. Matt was unsure of how to feel; his childhood idol was giving him a death stare.

"Austin, it's complicated. These two guys are my best friends, and if something happens and causes a rift between Evolution and D-Generation X … well … I'm not going to let that happen."

Taking a deep breath, Matt got up and stood over the General Manager still sitting in his chair.

"I'm not asking you, Austin. I'm _demanding_ that you make me the ref. I'm not letting my family split in two!"

Stone Cold didn't seem fazed by Matt's demand. Taking another sip of his beer, he motioned back to the chair Matt was sitting in.

"Hold on there, cowboy. Sit down. I've got another guest coming down here. Goddammit, _**sit down!**_"

But Matt didn't budge. Austin got up and got face to face with the tag champ.

"_I can't believe I'm actually staring Stone Cold Steve Austin down … jeez"_, Matt thought to himself. Not letting his guard down and knowing that a Stunner could come at any moment, Orton carefully kept his eyes on the man in front of him. Austin slowly lifted his microphone to his face … and smiled.

"You've got balls, kid. I like that. So for that little display, you get your wish. You're the referee for the rest of the series."

Orton's posture slumped a bit, relieved that Austin didn't want to beat his ass down to the ground. Taking a seat in his chair, Matt now wondered who the third chair was meant for.

"Last week", Austin began again, "some idiot came down here and put his nose in your business. I want that piece of crap to come out here and explain himself."

Matt contemplated getting up and grabbing his chair to wield as a weapon, but decided that Austin's words were going to be punishment enough. As Y2J strolled down to the ring, Matt took the tag team belt off from his waist and swung it over his shoulder, trying to make himself look better for the occasion. Jericho, with his eyes on Orton the whole time, carefully took the remaining seat. Austin nonchalantly tossed the microphone to Jericho, who barely caught it. Matt slumped back in his chair, trying his best to make Jericho look bad.

"I don't have to say anything different from what I said last week. Orton, you're stale! You and your little _family_, as you call it, are the only ones who have challenged for that belt. And now since Cena and Barringer are occupied, you think you're the only one left for your brother to compete with!"

Orton smiled confidently and sat straight up in his chair once again. "First of all, Jericho, every single match that I've had with my brother over that title I've earned. Also, if you recall correctly, Jericho … you would remember this if you weren't so dense … I was the one who single-handedly brought the Intercontinental title back to RAW." Matt paused for the short round of cheers from the crowd. "And frankly, Y2J, I think you're just looking for someone to belittle. Since John and Eric stole your chance at the big gold belt away, you go around, searching for a target. And since you're too scared of my brother …"

Backstage, Randy smiled at the subtle compliment from Matt.

"… you want to come after me. Why? Maybe its because I'm younger. Maybe its because you think that by beating the brother of the Intercontinental champion, you'll earn a title shot. Honestly, Jericho … you're just grasping at empty air. All because you don't have your shot at the World title. And even if you _had_ won that night, Taker would beat the living hell out of you. You feel like getting Randy's belt will fill in that little gap in your ego that says, 'I need a piece of gold because I'm a self-righteous, pathetic excuse for a competitor!'"

Austin started laughing his ass off, nearly falling out of his chair. Jericho, needless to say, was floored at the intensity of Matt's tirade, unable to think of a comeback.

"You see, Chris, that belt has more meaning for Randy and I than _any_ belt has meant for you. Sure, you were the first Undisputed champion. Did that_mean_ anything to you? **No.** All it did was give you ammunition to spit out in every single one of your little interviews. Using it over and over and over again makes it lose its meaning. Basic communication class, Jericho, didn't you take it?! We Ortons value that belt as a symbol of pride and honor and we're not going to let any pompous bastard take that away from us!"

Matt finally got what he wanted. Jericho snapped, grabbing the chair he was sitting on and swinging it wildly at Orton. Reacting quickly, Matt took the belt off his shoulder, dodged a chair shot, and rebounded with an attack of his own, smacking Y2J in the forehead with the tag champ belt. Austin jumped up, ready to defend himself if necessary. However, all Matt did was pick up one of the microphones on the mat.

"Orton", Stone Cold said, "now … you asked me for a favor. It's only natural for me to do the same.

"You don't even have to ask me. Spit it out."

"Put your #1 contender's spot on the line against this piece of crap right here tonight!"

"Consider it done."

'Line in the Sand' played in the arena once again, and Matt posed over the unconscious body of Y2J as RAW went to commercial. Backstage, the hostility between Evolution and D-Generation X went astray, with both groups uniting in support of the person who just represented both of them out in the ring.

* * *

_Looks like Matt has made a new enemy. Next time, RAW comes back from commercial, where Camilla has to put her Woman's title on the line against a competitor selected by Stone Cold. Then, Matt puts his pride and his position on the line in a match against Chris Jericho. Following that match is the main event, where Eric and John face off for the second time. Will Matt being the special guest referee change the outcome of the match?_

_I loved writing that last little bit with Jericho. Mwaha._

_Hope you liked it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	62. Catalyst

_We'll continue with Monday night. Camilla defends her belt, Matt defends his honor, DX fights to gain respect, and Matt sets the ground rules for the second battle between Cena and Barringer._

_Here we go!_

* * *

The youngest member of the group came back to a round of applause, cheers, and slaps on the back. Although the room was still divided on whether or not Matt inserting himself as the special guest referee was a good decision, both Evolution and D-Generation X rallied around the man who just both verbally and physically demolished Chris Jericho. Once escaping the waves of greetings crashing into him, Matt backed off to catch his breath. Taking a seat on a nearby bench, Orton took off his shirt and threw it across the room.

"Infuriating, isn't he?", asked Randy, sitting next to his brother. "I hated him when he debuted and I still hate him."

"I actually liked Jericho when he debuted", responded Matt, "but I was a kid back then … it was only natural to like the good guys and hate the bad ones. But now … he may have put his foot in the doorway, but I'm ready to slam the door shut and crack the damn thing in half."

"Jeez … if you ever needed an example of the Orton temper, there it is", Randy commented.

Camilla then leaped onto Matt's lap, nearly knocking him off the bench. Tracing a finger up Matt's abs up to his chest, Camilla leaned in for a kiss, which was gladly met by her fiancée. Being rather loud, the pair caused a bit of awkwardness in the room's atmosphere. HBK sighed before turning to his tag partner and saying …

"I'm too old for this crap."

Hunter chuckled a bit as Shawn walked out of the room.

"Why don't you two get a room!", he yelled to Matt and Camilla, who were still going at it.

Eric nudged the Game with his elbow, getting Hunter's attention. "Give 'em a break. Matt's just trying to get as far as he can before Sunday evening."

Hunter cocked his head to the side in confusion. "What? 'As far as he can'? What does that mean?"

"They're waiting until marriage before going all the way. You didn't know that?"

Triple H was now looking incredulously at the young couple. "You mean they haven't … oh, **come on**, Orton! Go for it! You know you both want it!"

Eric slapped a hand over Hunter's mouth and hastily escorted him out of the room before he could spout out anymore suggestive … suggestions. A reluctant brother shrugged his shoulders and nodded.

"You know … he's right. You guys don't need a date on the calendar to symbolize your love for each other! You've wanted this ever since Camilla first jumped into bed with you, Matt!"

"I**knew** you were awake during that", Matt exclaimed, recalling seeing his brother's eyes flicker when Camilla unexpectedly climbed into bed that night. Turning to his fiancée, Matt recognized that sly smile on Camilla's face. Needless to say, she was agreeing wholeheartedly with Hunter and Randy.

"You … **could** … go into the bathroom. I'd keep watch at the door", Randy suggested.

Matt fiercely punched his brother in the shoulder, getting an audible wince. "Not before I have a match! I'd lose all my energy!"

"So you _would_ if you didn't have a match tonight?", asked an eager Camilla.

"No!", Matt exclaimed, trying to find some excuse to get him out of this situation. "You have a match too tonight! You should be worried about the same thing!"

"No, I don't! You're the one going out there!"

"You get to defend your title tonight! It's on the card! Go see for yourself!" Matt pointed to a copy of the night's card he had brought in that was laying on the table. Camilla hopped off of Matt's lap and scurried across the room to read the news.

"Against that **slut?!**", Camilla exclaimed, realizing that she would be defending against the Diva she hated most, Torrie Wilson. Almost having a Batista-like temper tantrum, Camilla started throwing whatever she could get her hands on. Matt and Randy ducked bottles of water and bags full of clothes while John wisely hid inside one of the lockers. Deciding that this was getting out of hand, Matt braved the flying plastic to restrain his future wife.

"Calm down! She has nothing over you! Just slap on a submission hold and make her tap!"

Camilla heard the words 'submission' and 'tap' and went into rampage mode. She elbowed Matt in the stomach and tripped up her fiancée, quickly locking in a Sharpshooter. John and Randy simultaneously dashed towards Camilla and successfully pulled her off. Shawn, Hunter, and Eric walked in with munchies from the snack bar, and were all flabbergasted at Camilla thrashing about wildly and Matt on the floor favoring his lower back.

"Did we interrupt something?", Eric asked cautiously. Without answering, Matt made it to his feet and took Camilla away from John and Randy. Withstanding the hard punches and slaps, Matt dove in and kissed Camilla, instantly soothing the out-of-control woman. The remaining men in the room all looked at each other and shrugged.

HBK sat down and started to eat his nachos. "Now I **know** I'm too old for this."

* * *

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and it is for the WWE Women's Championship!"

Lilian's introduction rang throughout the arena before Torrie's music hit. The crowd gave virtually no reaction to the person who crushed Randy's hopes of love. Especially angry was Lilian herself, who announced Torrie's name like it was her funeral. Torrie took offense to this and started to stare down RAW's resident ring announcer. Randy almost shot to his feet to go defend Lilian, but Matt held him back.

"She can take care of herself. Don't you remember Lilian slapping the hell out of Torrie a couple of weeks ago?"

Sure enough, a loud slapping noise was heard, turning both brothers' back to the monitor. Lilian was stepping out of the ring to announce Camilla from ringside, leaving Torrie in a heap on her knees. Fans ringside were belittling Randy's former fiancée, who looked like she was about to cry.

"And_this_ is Camilla's challenger?", asked Cena, who just finished changing into his ring gear. "Dude … she's got this, no sweat."

"It's not like any of the other Divas could hold a candle to her", Matt responded. "She hasn't been defeated yet. Don't forget that."

John, Randy, and Matt all watched as Camilla made her entrance proudly. Torrie almost looked scared as the Women's Champion slid into the ring, even though Camilla was the smaller woman. Lilian could be seen sitting at ringside with a smug look on her face, egging Camilla on to finish the job.

But more music started to play. The familiar sound effect of Jericho's countdown reached Matt's ears, but the younger Orton didn't want to believe it. Sure enough, Jericho walked out onto the stage, grabbing Camilla's attention away from Torrie. The Women's Champion grabbed the top rope and belted angry obscenities at her fiancée's current rival.

"_No! No!"_, thought Matt. _"Don't let him distract you! Keep your mind on the match!"_

Unfortunately, the soon-to-be husband and wife didn't share the telepathic link that existed between the brothers. To Matt's horror, Torrie Wilson used a school-boy roll up on Camilla. Before the ref could start counting, Orton bounced off the bench and bolted out the door. Randy followed, sticking his head out of the door, and screamed out …

"She's alright! She kicked out!"

Matt's sprint turned into more of a jog. Looking back and nodding to his brother, Orton continued on to the curtain. Peeking beyond the fabric, he saw Camilla on the offensive now, with her signature Sharpshooter locked in on her opponent. Jericho was now at ringside, seemingly pulling for Torrie.

"Looks like Wilson switches boyfriends monthly now", came a familiar voice from behind Matt. Orton spun around to see Shawn and Hunter walking up behind him. "We figured the match would be over soon and went ahead and came down since we're next up", Hunter said.

"You gotta tell your girl to stop stealing my move!", Shawn exclaimed.

"You tell her that. Every time I suggest something to her to do in the ring, she slaps a submission on me. And believe me … it hurts."

"Then why isn't Torrie tapping out?", asked Shawn. Looking to the monitor, Matt indeed saw Camilla's opponent somehow resisting the urge to submit. Jericho was positioned right in front of Torrie's face, seemingly shouting out advice to the Diva. Matt started to step behind the curtain, but was held back by the Game.

"She doesn't need you right now. If you go out there, you'll just distract her and maybe cost her the title."

"But look at Jericho out there!" Matt realized he was starting to sound like a little kid, but he didn't care at the moment. "She needs someone out there with her!"

"Matt, calm down!", Hunter bellowed loudly. The all-too familiar serious voice from Triple H wasn't something Matt liked to hear; it reminded him too much of the early, miserable days of Evolution. "She's done fine so far, even with Jericho out there. Hell, if she can make you tap, I bet she could take him down with ease. So take your ass back to the room and sit … it … **down**!"

Like a scared little puppy, Matt backed down and returned to the locker room. Shawn was rather surprised at Hunter's sudden outburst; Hunter hadn't acted like this in quite a while. Upon getting back to the room, Matt sat back down on a bench and watched the monitor.

"Hunter thinks Camilla doesn't need me out there."

"He's right, dawg", Cena responded. "Besides, I don't think Jericho has the balls to hit a woman. He's out there just to psych her out, but that won't work. You three are some of the most hard-headed…"

"Hey!", Randy and Matt shouted in protest together in unison.

"Okay … maybe that came out wrong. You're some of the most … uh …_resilient_ people I know."

"Wow", blurted out Eric. "John used a big word."

"Shove it, Barringer!" Cena quickly got up and stared down Eric.

"Oh god…", Randy muttered. "Here we go again." His brother quickly got up and stepped in between the two men before anything physical broke out. After a good while of the two #1 contender's bickering, it took the ringing of the bell from the television to snatch everyone's attention.

"Here is your winner", Lilian began, "and _**still**_ …"

Matt released his bated breath, relieved that his fiancée kept her title. Looking at the screen, Orton even saw Jericho face down on the mat, squirming in pain. The instant replay showed that after Torrie finally tapped out, Jericho had rushed into the ring. However, Camilla was quick-witted enough to stop the intruder with a quick and swift kick to the crotch. The whole locker room burst out in laughter at the look on Jericho's face as he fell to the mat. When the Women's Champion walked back into the room, she immediately attached herself to Matt.

"Impressed? Think about what I did to Jericho, then think about what I can do to you", Camilla said suggestively, running a finger down Matt's chest again.

John sighed and shook his head while Eric started to laugh. After Torrie and Jericho were scraped off the mat, DX's music started to play. Shawn and Hunter didn't even know who they were going up against; it was becoming a regular routine to quickly and handily dominate whatever tag team was set in their path. Matt was beginning to realize the possible consequences of DX's actions: with the number of tag teams on RAW quickly dwindling, it was only a matter of time before Austin made the match for the tag belts.

"You know it's gotta be close", said Matt to John. "Austin _has_ to come to his senses and put us in a match against them for the straps."

"And we'll be ready", answered John. Matt peered behind him at his brother, who nodded in approval.

"_You just better be ready for Jericho tonight."_

"_That piece of crap?"_, Matt answered. _"He's going nowhere."_

* * *

Chris Jericho, accompanied by his new manager, Torrie Wilson, strolled down to the ring after his usual countdown and fanfare, albeit still tender from Camilla's well-placed kick. Backstage, Matt was lacing up his boots and about ready to head out.

"Let me go with you", commented Camilla. She put on a puppy dog face, and Matt found it hard to say no. After grabbing his World Tag Team Championship belt and tossing Camilla her own belt, the future husband and wife strolled out of the locker room, hand in hand.

"You can do this, right?", she asked. "Jericho's a crafty one. He almost managed to keep Torrie from tapping out earlier. And that's quite a feat considering no one has escaped one of my holds, not even_you_."

"I'll be fine", Matt answered. "Jericho is only a bag of hot air."

"Just be careful, alright? The Walls of Jericho can come without warning, and I don't want you tapping out."

"Tap out? Why the hell would I do that?"

"You're the one that gets put to sleep by your brother every day or two with a sleeper hold. Just don't tap out, alright?"

Matt rolled his eyes as the pair approached the curtain. The sound guy appropriately ended Jericho's music and prepared 'Line in the Sand' to be played in the arena.

"Keep an eye on Torrie, alright?", Matt asked. "Who knows what's going through her mind. First, she's with the Hardys … now Jericho … she might have picked up a few tricks."

Camilla nodded and the two stepped out onto the stage, posing appropriately with the golden pyro of Evolution behind them. J.R. made a comment about how Matt and Camilla were to be married that following Sunday and wished them all the best. Even the ladies' man Jerry Lawler acknowledged what a young and formidable couple the pair had become. With Torrie almost cowering at ring side and Jericho refusing to let himself look scared in front of the crowd, Orton gave a nudge to his future wife.

"Why don't you go make things interesting?", whispered Matt, pointing towards Torrie. Camilla picked up the hint and smirked, remaining at Matt's corner as he climbed into the ring. Jericho, unfortunately for Orton, tried to get a jumpstart on the match, sprinting towards Matt and sandwiching Orton between himself and the turnbuckle. With the wind knocked out of him and his brain scattered, Matt felt himself being lifted onto the turnbuckle. Jericho locked Orton in the position for a superplex, but Matt started to elbow Chris in the gut.

Camilla started to pound the mat in a rhythmic manner to get the crowd to start clapping, and succeeded quickly. The sudden change in the fans' volume distracted Jericho somewhat, allowing Matt his opportunity to shove Y2J off and onto his back. Matt looked down at Camilla and gave the signal. The Women's Champion sprinted around the ring and speared Torrie Wilson down to the mat right in front of Lilian, who surprisingly started to laugh.

With his focus now back on the match, Orton saw Jericho getting to his feet. Taking aim, Matt launched himself in the air with a missile dropkick. However, Chris caught wind of this and sidestepped Orton's attack, sending Matt flying into the middle of the ring. Matt landed on his ankle funny, his hands going straight to his lower left leg in pain. Backstage, Randy could almost feel the pain himself, but encouraged his brother to not show weakness.

Matt tried. The younger Orton got to his feet, but struggled to keep the pain from his ankle hidden. Matt ducked a clothesline and spun around to retaliate, but stumbled down to one knee, his face contorting in reaction to the hurting. Jericho quickly picked up on this and knocked Orton on his back with a dropkick. Y2J grabbed Orton's legs and started to turn him over. Instinctively, Matt tried to pull himself to the ropes, but it was too late. Y2J had his signature Walls of Jericho locked in before Orton could grasp the ropes. To add to the pain, Jericho twisted Matt's injured ankle as he leaned back to apply more pressure to Matt's lower back.

"Reach around and grab his foot, Matt!", Camilla yelled to her fiancée, having left Torrie alone after quite a beating. "That's the only way you're gonna get out of it!"

Orton's back felt like it was about to be snapped in two. His ankle wasn't much better either. Not even Randy's sleeper hold or Eric's camel clutch hurt this bad. Matt didn't know what Jericho was doing differently, but he knew that he was going to be a goner in mere seconds. Looking around, Orton saw that the ropes were too far away. Trying to grab Jericho's leg like Camilla suggested wasn't going to happen either; Jericho was countering every attempt by moving his legs away from Matt's incoming hands.

By now, Matt was starting to lose feeling in his legs. The pain shooting up his back was now overwhelming each of his senses, making it hard to even stay conscious. Randy's hopes of facing Matt next week were eroding quickly; never before had he seen his brother weaken so intensely. Ringside, Camilla was in shock at the situation … and finally decided to take action. Thinking quickly, Camilla picked up a still downed Torrie Wilson and threw her into the ring. The future Mrs. Orton jumped into the ring herself to try to goad Jericho into letting go. Naturally, the referee ordered Camilla out of the ring, threatening disqualification of Matt. Once Jericho finally let go, Camilla rolled out of the ring to avoid his wrath. Torrie grabbed Chris' attention, kneeling down to inspect the damage. Camilla, meanwhile, ran over to where Matt was still on the ground favoring his back.

"You have _got_ to get up right now!", Camilla screamed. The crowd evidently agreed with chants of "Let's go, Orton!" sounding rampant throughout the arena. However, Matt still lay prone on the ground, recovering from the shock his body just went through. Camilla took a deep breath and started to concentrate. After a few seconds of focusing on the saddest things she should think of, Camilla locked eyes with Matt; this time, tears were streaming down her face.

"Please! Matt, please get up! For me! _Please!_", she yelled, as if someone were in imminent danger.

Orton strained his entire upper body to pull himself to the ropes. Increasing the strain to lift himself onto his good foot, Orton waited in the corner for Jericho to get back up. The referee was escorting Torrie out to ringside as Jericho looked back to Orton. Y2J, out of extreme fury, charged straight at Matt.

Matt managed to move out of the way at the last second, causing Jericho to run shoulder-first into the ring post. Kneeling down, Matt saw his chance. Channeling his family's encouragement and energy, Orton signaled to the crowd for the MKO. Braving the pain, Matt balanced himself on both feet and slammed his fist into Jericho's stomach as he turned around. Matt put Y2J in position and tried to lift him up, but Jericho blocked it. Already drained as it was, Orton tried one more time, but met the same result.

"_Reverse it like I do!"_, thought Randy to his brother.

Matt could feel Jericho reversing the position, and soon Orton was lifted up into the air. Taking his brother's advice, Orton managed to flip himself with a last burst of strength and bring Jericho's face down to the mat in an RKO. Randy jumped to his feet in applause as did most of the arena. Camilla was slamming her palms down on the mat in support while even Lilian was up and cheering for Matt.

Jericho wasn't moving … but neither was Matt. Orton could hear two things: the roar of the crowd and the faint counting of the referee. By the time he rolled over onto his back, the ref was at a count of 4.

"_GET UP, YOU IDIOT!"_, Randy thought.

Matt's eyes darted around. Jericho was also on his back; all Matt had to do was to get over there and drape an arm over Y2J's chest.

"_It's too damn far away…"_, Matt creaked out.

"_That's not an excuse! Move your ass and cover him!"_

With his foot still killing him, Matt started to roll over slowly towards the fallen Jericho. As he inched closer, Orton noticed the crowd's volume slowly increasing as if encouraging him to gain momentum.

"… 8! …"

Jericho was still a foot or two away.

"… 9! …"

Bracing for pain, Matt, in desperation, used his bad foot to push himself onto Y2J. A screaming Orton finally hooked the leg for the pin.

"1, 2, 3!"

Lilian quickly announced Matt's win as she watched Camilla climb into the ring and tend to Matt's injuries. After pulling the #1 contender to the Intercontinental title out of the ring, Camilla set Matt down on a chair at ringside.

"You know you're not done yet, right?", Lilian said as she handed Matt a black and white striped shirt. Looking up, Orton saw Jericho walking back up the ramp with his accomplice in tow; the both of them looked like they had just gone through a war.

"Can I at least … go to the back … and get an icepack?", Matt said between winces and deep breaths.

Randy, all of a sudden, appeared running down the ramp, two icepacks in hand.

"Thought you might need these", Randy said as he gave them to Camilla.

"Jeez … its like you could read my mind", she responded, flabbergasted at Randy's appearance.

"I guess you could say that", the older Orton replied with a smirk. Matt managed to look up and smile at his brother's retort.

"_You smart aleck bastard"_, Matt thought.

* * *

A trainer finally had made his way down to ringside and inspected Matt, giving him some medicated cream to rub on the affected areas as well as wrapping his lower back and ankle in bandages.

"Nothing that and some aspirin couldn't fix", Camilla said after the trainer left. "Sometimes I think you're just a big crybaby."

"You're not helping, Camilla."

"Oh, come on! I'm just trying to brighten things up for you. Besides, take this as a lesson. For both of you", Camilla said, pointing at Randy as well.

"Me?", RKO asked. "Why me?"

"You two get way too cocky sometimes. Before the match, Matt, you acted like you were the talk of the down, brushing Y2J off like he was a mosquito. Jericho nearly had this match won, and if he would have, he would have had a good shot at beating Randy. Sure, you two are Ortons, but don't let that take your wits away from you. Don't underestimate anyone. Hear me?"

Randy and Matt looked at each other like they were being lectured. "Yes, mom", both of them said jokingly. This was a mistake, as Camilla delivered two strong punches to the shoulders of each brother.

"Now … as much as I don't want you to, Matt", Camilla said, eyeing his body, "put on that ref's shirt. Its almost time."

Randy and Camilla decided to stay at ringside while Matt slowly got to his feet. The fans clapped as Orton showed some signs of recovering, albeit limping a little and holding his bandaged back. After Lilian made sure that Matt wanted to continue, the opening bell rang.

"The following contest," Lilian begun, "is scheduled for one fall and it is the second in the best-of-five series for the World Heavyweight Championship!"

'Basic Thuganomics' blared in the arena, and Matt's tag team partner made his way to the ring. John climbed in, checked on Matt, then posed to the crowd on each turnbuckle. In John's mind, this was his chance to redeem himself in the eyes of the crowd as well as in the eyes of Matt himself. After taking off his jersey and throwing it in the crowd, Cena turned his eyes to the stage in anticipation of his opponent.

After the usual fanfare, Eric came out to an even bigger round of cheers and applause than John. Cena recognized this and snarled just a bit, but enough for Randy and Matt to notice. As soon as Barringer got into the ring, the two opponents faced each other down smack dab in the middle of the squared circle. Matt limped over and stuck himself between the two men.

"I don't want any funny business from either of you … _especially_ you, John", Matt said, poking the other half of the World Tag Team Champions sternly in the chest. "If anything happens that rubs me the wrong way, I'll disqualify you."

Cena responded only by nodding.

And then, Matt signaled for the bell to ring.

* * *

_Oh boy. When we return, Eric and John will have, as J.R. would put it, a slobberknocker of a match. However, something will happen that rubs Matt the wrong way. Who will commit the deed, and what will Orton do about it? Then, after months of preparation and anticipation, wedding bells will be heard at the Orton household. What will Matt and Camilla have to say to each other at the altar? _

_Hope you enjoyed reading it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	63. Split and Join

_J.R. might as well start going crazy right now; the match between John and Eric is up next. Afterwards, Matt runs into a couple of problems before, during and after the wedding._

_Warning: This one's a bit long._

_Here we go!_

* * *

Matt backed away as fast as he could … which wasn't very fast at all due to his ankle … thinking that the match would start quickly and violently. However, Cena and Barringer remained surprisingly docile in the middle of the ring. The only intense things involved in the match so far were the death stares that the two men were giving each other. Matt was reminded of the way Randy's face looked whenever Batista's name was mentioned, or Camilla likewise with Torrie's name. Everyone in the arena was waiting with held breath for either man to strike the first blow. Even with all of the fans in the arena and all of the employees and remaining superstars backstage … it sounded like the whole place was empty. 

Then darkness.

Screams were heard from some of the younger fans in the crowd. Ringside, Randy, Camilla, and Lilian thought the power went out. The lights of cell phones and cameras could be seen briefly illuminating the ring for milliseconds at a time. Matt couldn't see his own hand in front of him, but his ears picked up the sounds of a scuffle in the middle of the ring. While deciding whether or not to go in and break up the encounter…

**GONG!**

That telltale sound stopped all movement whatsoever in the ring. The single screen just below the main TitanTron was lit white, with the tall silhouette of the Undertaker standing in the middle of it. Taker slowly lifted his arms towards the air and the lights came back on. It was revealed that John and Eric were frozen in the middle of the ring, with Barringer having a headlock on Cena. The two competitors watched as the Deadman made a motion around his waist, and then disappeared behind the curtain as quickly as he appeared.

"What the hell…", Matt said out loud. Eric let go of John and stared at the curtain, as if expecting the Undertaker to come back on stage.

"_Don't let your mind get off the match, Barringer!"_, Randy thought as he saw John take advantage of the situation. Cena rolled Eric up and Matt instinctively dropped to the mat to make the count. However, Orton's lower back was still tender, and throbs of pain shot up his body. Cena was expecting a three-count done, the bell rung, and his hand held in the air; instead, he let Barringer go and checked on his tag team partner.

"You okay, man?", John asked. Matt looked up and nodded before focusing his eyes on what Eric was about to do. Barringer returned the attack, rolling Cena up.

"1 … 2 …"

John managed to kick out, snapping back to his feet quickly. Matt slipped out of the ring, deciding to referee the match from ringside to minimize the pain from his injured back. John pushed Eric to the ropes and started delivering hard chops to the youngest DX member's chest, causing it to turn an almost beet red. Now whipping Barringer to the opposite side, John met Eric with a huge clothesline, sending him down to the mat in a rapid manner. Cena acted quickly, flipping Eric on his stomach and locking his leg in position for the STFU. Barringer hurried and grabbed a nearby rope before John could completely lock the hold in. Matt hurried around to the side closest to the competitors and demanded that John let go. He did so, albeit reluctantly. Matt couldn't help but be bothered at the increasing grimace on John's face.

Eric made it back to his feet and refocused back on his opponent. The two slowly and cautiously circled each other like a matador and a bull. In this case, John was the matador, using his signature 'You Can't See Me' taunt to goad Eric into charging. Barringer rammed Cena back into the corner, ramming shoulder after shoulder into John's midsection. With all the breath out of him, John fell to the mat, sitting in the corner. Eric smiled and walked to the opposite corner. At once, Matt could recognize what was about to occur. Eric made the crotch chop taunt in John's direction and ran at Cena, perfectly executing the Bronco Buster.

"_You know"_, Matt thought, _"I wonder why he hasn't used that sooner. He loved that move when we were kids."_

With Cena looking limp in the corner, Barringer started to emulate one of his two elders: Eric started to feel the energy of the arena much like HBK would. It was only a matter of time before Eric started to tune up the band.

"1! 2! 3! …", chanted the crowd, following each of Eric's stomps. Backstage, HBK couldn't help but smile. He had said it before: Eric was like a son of his, and with Eric charging up some Sweet Chin Music, the similarities only continued to accumulate. John was just now getting to his feet, and Eric was ready to take aim. With Cena stumbling in the middle of the ring, Barringer let loose the superkick.

But John caught Eric's foot in mid-air. Matt's jaw dropped to the floor, expecting a knocked out rapper in the middle of the ring. Cena smiled, threw Barringer's foot down to the floor, and lifted him up onto his shoulders. John had a grin from ear to ear, ready to FU Eric to the ground. Matt grinned as well, proud at his partner for being honorable in the match. In mere seconds, Barringer's back met the canvas and John went for the cover.

"1, 2, …"

Matt was confused when he realized what happened. Eric didn't kick out nor did he get his hands on the ropes. Cena had intentionally lifted himself off of Barringer. John looked down at his tag team partner and smiled again; this time, his face was characteristic of the trademark Orton smirk.

"_Looks like some of our cockiness rubbed off on him"_, commented Randy. Matt watched as John flipped Eric on his stomach and locked in the STFU. Barringer started screaming instantly, the pressure on his neck and upper back becoming unbearable. Orton saw Barringer's hand in position to tap out, but it stayed suspended in the air; Eric was trying his hardest not to give up. John looked like he was pulling back as hard as he could, a look of extreme rage on his demeanor. Matt found the face strange … it was rare that Cena looked so angry.

Barringer still wasn't submitting. His hands started to reach towards the ropes, which were only a couple of feet away. The closer Eric got to the ropes, the fiercer John's grip got. Barringer's hand started to lower down to the ground; Matt could see the life draining from Eric's face. Braving injury, Orton climbed into the ring and kneeled down beside his rapidly fading friend. Matt lifted Eric's hand up in the air once … it fell. Another time … it fell again. Taking a deep breath, Matt lifted Eric's arm a final time.

It fell on the mat with a heavy thud.

"Here is your winner, by submission, John Cena!"

Randy handed Matt John's belt to give it back to him … or at least tried to. John still had the STFU locked in, even though the bell had rung. Matt tugged on his partner to let go, but with no results.

"John, what the hell are you doing!?"

No response. Matt started to tug with force this time, but couldn't take the Doctor of Thuganomics off. Matt's heart rate soared higher than it was ever was before; John looked like he was deriving pleasure from the fact that Eric was unconscious. Orton looked back at his brother for support, and was answered quickly. After a short moment of struggle, both brothers together pried Cena off a now limp Barringer. Randy put John on his feet while Camilla ran over to tend to Eric. Adrenaline was now replacing the pain in Matt's foot as he stepped up to John.

"What … the … hell … was … _that?!_ Are you _trying_ to take Eric out?"

The man in front of Orton wasn't the John Cena he had known for nearly a year and a half. This was a different person, a more, sinister and animalistic being. There wasn't a smile or a smirk on John's face; now … it was a vicious, almost evil snarl. "I do … what I _**have**_ to do to win … Matt. Remember?"

As quick as a snake's strike, John lifted Matt on his back for the FU. Acting purely on protective instinct, Randy went in for the save, grabbing his brother out of Cena's grasp. John grabbed his tag belt, slipped out of the ring, and dashed up the stage. Orton put his brother back on his feet while Eric was now slowly coming to in Camilla's arms. Lilian even got into the ring to check on Barringer.

Randy was watching his brother's reaction to what had just transpired. As Cena gloated on top of the stage, the younger Orton's whole body started to shake.

"_This is all my fault … if I had never invited Cena into Evolution, this wouldn't have happened. I should have listened to what I heard about him when I first got to SmackDown … __**goddammit!**__"_

"_Matt, you didn't know this was going to happen. You had no idea. Neither did I nor Camilla … none of us had a clue."_

The only thing Matt could think of now was the well-being of his best friend. His _only_ best friend. John Cena was no longer a part of Evolution. John Cena was no longer part of the family. As Eric got to his feet, Matt ran up to him and embraced his fallen comrade.

"I'm sorry I ever considered him as a friend."

"Just…", Eric said through gritted teeth, "…just answer me this one question."

"Anything."

"… why in the _hell_ did the Undertaker show up?"

Matt managed a chuckle. And while he didn't have an immediate response, one thing was for certain: John Cena's actions weren't a laughing matter.

* * *

On the plane ride back home, Matt wasn't thinking about the jovial times that were coming up in the form of the wedding, even though Camilla was constantly reminding him about it. To him, it was still his fault. It was his fault that Eric turned on him at WrestleMania. It was his fault that Batista nearly killed both himself and his brother. It was his fault that John … 

"_Will you quit blaming yourself?!"_

Randy's message interrupted Matt's thoughts.

"_You always try to find a way to shift the blame on yourself! If you keep doing that, you're gonna implode one of these days. You have to accept that some things just happen! This was one of them."_

Matt didn't respond. His greatest fear, the thought of losing a member of the family, played a large part in his tendency to cling on to people. To Matt, Batista was still a mentor. And even though Cena stepped well beyond the line, John was still a good friend. With Camilla's head resting on his shoulder, Matt looked over to his brother on the other side of the aisle.

"_You'll never do something like that to me, right?"_

"_For the billionth time, Matt, I'll __**never**__do something like that. I've seen what it does to you. No prospect of wealth, fame … or even a championship … can trump the way I would feel knowing that I would have betrayed my own brother."_

"_But you just said that some things 'just happen'. What if you 'just' happened to turn on me?"_

Randy sighed. He knew that Matt was a bit too over analytical on some words, and hated repeating and rephrasing his sentences.

"_You know what? I have to come clean. Remember that time when you couldn't go to sleep the night before your first match? I swore to myself that you wouldn't come between me and a championship. That was before we worked together in the ring. You see, I come alive whenever we're in that place, whether its with or against you. I feel more like a living, breathing human being whenever you're in the same room as me. I've never felt anything close to what I had endured in the sixteen years that you were gone. And for me to intentionally lose that feeling … all for a goddamn title belt? That would be the most idiotic decision I'd have ever made. I am__**not**__ losing you again."_

Matt took a deep breath and looked straight ahead. Eric, Shawn, and Hunter were in the seats directly in front of them. Even though Eric was still favoring his neck, D-Generation X was hamming it up, telling each other jokes and thinking of new ways to pull DX-style pranks on whomever they wanted. It was quite a different appearance than what had transpired after RAW went off the air. Both the Heartbreak Kid and the Game were more than furious; the two men went off looking for Cena, wanting to tear into the now marked man. Thinking about the way HHH and HBK acted, Matt cracked a smile.

"_That proves to me that they're a family. Hunter actually cares about Eric. He wants to undo all the things he did to him during the bad era of Evolution. And Shawn … hell, I think Eric is closer to Shawn than his actual old man."_

"_And we're the same way"_, Randy replied. _"I don't care how many times I have to say this to you … but it looks like I haven't chiseled it into your brain yet."_

"_Alright … alright. I get it. Can we just have a match when we get home? It'll get my mind off things."_

"_A match? You mean you __**want**__ to get your ass kicked … and even in your condition right now?"_

"_I'm fine. Camilla gave my back and ankle a massage before we left the hotel this morning. I haven't felt any pain since. Come to think of it, where's Lilian? I thought she was coming home with us for the wedding on Sunday."_

"Why do you guys stare at each other like that? It's really creepy sometimes."

Both Randy and Matt now focused their attention on Camilla, who was sitting right beside her fiancée.

"You do that a lot, and you don't break eye contact … you guys aren't … you know …"

"No!", exclaimed both brothers. "That's just downright disgusting!"

"Well then! Tell me! What the hell do you two do when you stare at each other?"

The brothers looked at each other again, and then Matt hesitantly began to speak.

"Camilla … you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Bullcrap. Try me."

"Alright. But you asked for it. Randy and I … we can … well … communicate telepathically."

Camilla looked like nothing was said. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she raised an eyebrow, much like the Rock would.

"… you're kidding me."

"Nope", Randy added. "We do it by locking eyes with each other. Sometimes, we can do it without it, but it has to be an intense moment, like during a match."

"I can prove it. Whisper me anything and I'll communicate it over to Randy."

Still skeptical, Camilla thought something up, leaned over, and quietly whispered it to Matt.

"You sure you want him to know that?", Matt replied after learning what Camilla had in mind.

"This is all BS anyway", she retorted, rolling her eyes. The younger Orton smiled and turned to his brother. After a few seconds, Randy started to laugh.

"You two are going to have one hell of a sex life!"

Camilla's eyes started to widen. "Well?", she asked curiously. "What did I tell Matt?"

"One of your biggest fantasies is to lick honey off his chest."

Camilla didn't say a word for the rest of the trip.

* * *

When the family got home, Eric, Shawn, and Hunter all went out to rent tuxedos. Randy tossed them all Sharpies, figuring that they might have to sign a couple autographs before they came back home. Matt and Camilla went to the kitchen to start fixing an afternoon brunch. Orton did the only thing he knew how to do: fry some Spam. Camilla rolled her eyes as the brothers started working on this monumental task … at least to them, it was. Although the overall mood was light, Randy could sense that something was still troubling his brother. 

"Come on, you've got to cheer up", Randy said out loud. "This Cena business has really…"

"Its not that", Matt interrupted. "I've been calling my folks down in San Antonio to come to the wedding and I haven't gotten as much as a callback from them. And with Sunday coming closer and closer, I don't think they're going to make it at all."

"I'm sure they'll make it up here", Camilla added. "It's not like they're going to blow off their son's wedding."

"You know that I'm _not_ really their son, right?"

"Do you think they'll say that? They raised you for sixteen years, Matt. They still care for you. I'm sure they have a perfectly good excuse as to why they haven't contacted us."

"That's the thing! They don't! My cell phone number hasn't changed at all since I left! All they could do is pull up my name in their phone's memory…"

"Matt, just shut it!", Randy exclaimed. "Listen, I didn't know your folks, but Camilla's right. They don't seem like the type of people to just forget about your existence! Calm down! I'm sure we'll see them on Sunday. God, you need to go to a freakin' psychologist!"

"A psychologist?", Matt responded, shoving Randy in the chest as well. "I'm not crazy!"

Randy responded with a shove of his own. "You're not crazy! You just have issues!"

"Well look who's talking! You still can't get over the crap you went through when I was gone!"

Camilla stepped in between the two men quickly. "Boys! Boys! This isn't something worth kicking each other's ass over! We _all_ have problems; no one's perfect. Not even you two. God… you two have such short tempers…"

The brothers shrugged and went on with their Spam assembly, seemingly forgetting about their troubles. After the brunch was completed and eaten, Randy went to the workout room, Camilla went upstairs to try on a new pair of pants she had purchased, and Matt stayed downstairs on the family computer to surf the internet. Curious, Matt started to surf the website of the San Antonio newspaper, the one he read each morning before going to school.

"You would think they would find something more than a pig winning a livestock show on the front page … jeez."

His eyes scrolling down the sidebars, something caught his eye.

"Hmm … 'Cause of April house fire still under investigation'."

Clicking on the link and reading the first paragraph of the article, Matt's eyes widened to the point to where they were almost bulging out of their sockets. A cold sweat began to overwhelm Matt's body, causing his breath to shorten. Suddenly, Matt's body collapsed onto the keyboard and fell over onto the floor.

Both Camilla and Randy noticed the loud thud and went to go investigate. Upon seeing Matt's unconscious body on the floor, both ran over to try to revive him.

"Matt!", Camilla screamed out. "Wake up! What the hell happened?"

Orton's eyes started to flutter open, and they almost instantly flooded with tears. Matt started to babble unintelligibly, making no sense to either his fiancée or his brother. After a few minutes of trying to decipher his brother's words, Randy looked up to see what could have caused Matt to faint. Upon reading what was on the computer, Randy audibly gasped.

"Holy shit…"

Confused, Camilla looked up and read the opening paragraph from the article Matt was reading.

"'Officials are still investigating the cause of a house fire that occurred on the 3400 block of Rolling Rock street. The San Antonio Police Department reported that arson may have been the cause of a house fire that killed homeowners George and Irene Pryce…'"

* * *

Matt didn't say much the rest of the week. Randy tried to cheer his brother up by suggesting a bachelor party, only to receive a clothesline into the pool. He even put a jar of honey in front of Matt and Camilla when they were watching television late Thursday night. His younger brother took the jar and tossed it blindly behind him. Luckily, Hunter was sitting in the kitchen and caught it right before it hit and splattered all over the floor. 

The mood in the house was as dark as it was when the Undertaker came out during the Cena/Barringer match. And with the way Matt was acting, all he had to do to become the Undertaker was put on a black trenchcoat and hat. Soon enough, Friday night rolled around. Matt and Camilla were in bed together for the last time before they wouldn't see each other until the morning of the wedding. Like usually for the previous week, Matt was about to fall asleep, his eyes stuck pointing towards the ceiling.

"Can you at least tell me you love me?", Camilla asked, trying to elicit at least a nod or some kind of affirmatory grunt.

"Are you that insensitive?", Matt said, uttering his first words in three days. "My parents in San Antonio die and all you care is about is yourself?"

Camilla clearly thought that Matt had turned on 'emo' mode.

"Matt, just because your parents died doesn't mean you have to bring your own life to a screeching halt just to mourn them! You've been a miserable wretch for the entirety of what could have been the best week of our lives! Because of you, you've drug the whole house down in this bottomless pit with you and if you don't change your attitude, our wedding is shaping up to be one of the worst days of our lives!"

Matt sat straight up so suddenly that Camilla was a little frightened. All he did was look over to the wall that stood between his room and that of his brother's. After a few seconds, some stirring could be heard and the door opened to reveal Randy in a pair of black boxers.

"You called? It's the first time you've talked to me in weeks."

"You guys are the only family I have left. Mom and Dad are gone … Dave is gone … John is gone. I feel like everyone I come into contact with I lose in one way or another. And …" Matt started to tear up again at this point. "… and I feel like I'm gonna lose Bob and Elaine, the rest of DX, Lilian … and then ……… you two."

Randy and Camilla looked at each other with looks of helplessness and concern. Randy sat down on the bed next to his brother and put his arm around him.

"Matt, you know none of us will go the path of John and Dave. And death is an inevitability. You have to accept that. Sometimes it comes sooner than expected. What happened to your mom and dad was a tragedy, no doubt about it. But you can't sit here and dwell on it for life. Moving on is part of the process. Just think of tomorrow as an opportunity to create another family to emulate the love your parents gave you. Love Camilla like they loved you."

The younger Orton turned towards his fiancée and saw a woman who would be there for him no matter what happened. Then, another first for the week: Matt smiled.

"I … I think I'm okay now."

Randy slapped Matt on the back and smiled along with Camilla. "Good. Now cuddle up with your girl and go to sleep. This'll be the last time you'll see her until the wedding."

The older Orton left the room and closed the door. Matt instantly embraced Camilla and fervently kissed her.

"Can I make these last three days up to you?"

Camilla didn't verbally respond. Rather, she slipped her hand around the elastic band of Matt's boxers and started to pull them down. Matt quickly stopped Camilla before she got any further.

"Not now. Two more days."

* * *

Matt stared at himself in the mirror in his tuxedo, his brother standing beside him. The two looked identical, save for the height differential. 

"I couldn't have a better best man", Matt said.

"You couldn't have a better-_looking_ best man", Randy replied.

Matt rolled his eyes and adjusted his tie. Looking out the window at the backyard, he saw the whole setup for the ceremony. There weren't very many chairs … maybe 30 or 40 total … and the wedding cake was stacked on an elegant white table.

"I still can't believe you're actually getting married."

"Honestly … I can't believe I am either. I mean … if Camilla and I hadn't run into each other at the supermarket that day, we wouldn't be here."

"You have a knack for running into people. That's how you met me _and_ Eric. You're a really lucky guy."

"Lucky? You call it luck when I draw #3 in the Rumble?"

"I call it luck when you last from #3 all the way to the end."

Matt looked up at his brother and smirked. "I call that skill."

The two brothers walked out of the room to meet Eric, Shawn, and Hunter downstairs, who were entertaining the wedding guests. All four McMahons, Vince, Linda, Shane, and Stephanie, and even the General Manager himself, Stone Cold Steve Austin were there. Of course, Lilian was present as well as the ring announcer from SmackDown, Tony Chimel. Ric Flair, from the early days of Evolution, had managed to make it down, as well as Rey Mysterio and Edge, also from SmackDown. The rest of the guest list consisted of various friends and family that Bob and Elaine invited.

Randy leaned over to his brother and said, "I'd never thought I'd see the Dudleys in tuxedos."

Indeed, both Dudley brothers were present, as well as Trish Stratus, and surprisingly Lita.

"Who invited her?", Matt asked. Eric immediately stepped in between the two brothers and cracked a grin.

"_You_ invited her?", said Randy.

"Yep."

"Why? Isn't she still with that piece of crap Hardy?"

"You really think she would stay with him after the whole world knew about his liaison with Torrie? So … I caught her on the rebound."

Both the jaws of Randy and Matt hit the ground.

"You're_dating_ her?!", asked Matt quite loudly, causing Lita to turn around and look at him.

"We … _enjoy_ each other's company. Nothing too deep yet. Unlike you two, I'm not one to ask my date to marry me when I've only known her for a short time."

The brothers rolled their eyes at Barringer.

"You two haven't … you know …", Randy drug on.

Eric shot Randy a glare. "No! God, do you have any restraint at all?"

"I grew up as a ladies' man, what can I do?", Randy said, shrugging his shoulders.

"We're just friends right now, nothing more. A movie here, sometimes dancing, or even karaoke night."

"Karaoke?", Matt asked, chuckling. "I should have known. You always did that when we were kids. You've been bringing a lot of that stuff back. By the way, how long have you been seeing her?"

"Only a couple of weeks. We're still getting to know each other. Kind of looking forward to seeing where this goes."

The maid of honor, Lilian Garcia, walked right past the talking trio and into Elaine's room, where Camilla was checking herself one last time in the mirror.

"Are you ready, girlfriend?", Lilian shouted, overly excited for what was about to transpire for Camilla. "What are you going to say to him out there?"

"I don't know … I really don't know. I think I'm just gonna babble on about him and I."

"Well, you two are in the same boat. I overheard him talking about it to the boys and he hasn't thought of anything else either. Just make sure you two aren't dead silent out there, okay?"

Camilla nervously chuckled.

"It's time."

Both women turned around to see Elaine Orton at the doorway.

"Everyone's sitting out there waiting for you."

Camilla started to shake, but Lilian took her by the hand and gave her a hug.

"I know you're nervous. Just remember that your husband is waiting out there to show you his love."

Meanwhile, the wedding march started to play outside in the backyard. Matt looked towards the back door of the house. Randy and Lilian walked out hand in hand, best man and maid of honor, and made their way up to their positions. Randy could hear his brother take a loud, deep breath.

"_Don't sweat it, bro. You love her. That's all you need to get through this."_

The back door opened. Matt watched as his bride came out in a simple, elegant, white dress. The wedding march accompanied her walk down the aisle, making it look like a scene from a wedding movie … albeit on a much smaller scale. Randy stood proud by his brother as Camilla stepped up onto the altar beside Matt.

"Um …", Camilla started, "… not to pull from the book of wedding vow clichés, but we've been through a lot. From the time I left San Antonio to the moment we rediscovered each other here in town … to the time at the Royal Rumble … we've made it through so much together. Matt … I know what you're going through with what happened to your parents in San Antonio. I mean, you have your real mom and dad, but it's hard to ignore the death of the two people who loved and cared for you for 16 years. Matt, I don't have parents either. You guys are my family. Even…", Camilla hesitated, "…even Shawn and Hunter."

Everyone looked over at the two senior DX members, who smirked at the current Women's champion.

"We don't need to look at the past, Matt. Sure, our parents will be missed, but they're up there wanting us to live our lives. We now have each other to fill in those gaps that have been created. We now have this motley crew to help us get through those tough times."

Camilla stopped talking and looked down at the ground. However, Matt took her face in his hands and locked eyes with her.

"Camilla, some are saying that we're too young to get married. We're both only 18 years old. And then some say that we haven't known each other long enough to even consider getting married. And for that, I refer them to my brother and his fiancée."

The whole wedding party, especially Eric, started to chuckle. Lilian smiled, and Randy punched Matt in the shoulder.

"But to me, it doesn't matter. Love shouldn't matter if you're 18, 35, 60, or even 100. I know that I'm going to enjoy being with you for the rest of my life. After what's happened lately, we need each other. And there is no other truer reason for this to take place."

The priest looked at both Camilla and Matt and nodded.

"Short and sweet. I like it. Anyway, if there is anyone who thinks that these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold their peace."

Hunter opened his mouth to say something, but Shawn quickly covered HHH's mouth with his cowboy hat.

"Then, by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may…"

The newly married couple didn't wait for the priest to finish. The small wedding party got to their feet and applauded the creation of a new bond … or rather, the making official of a bond that had been there from the beginning.

"Let's eat!", shouted Hunter. DX dashed off towards the small buffet line, being followed by the rest of the party.

"If you touch that cake", Matt shouted, "I'll slam you three through that table!" Camilla jumped off the altar towards the cake, and Matt was about to do the same. However, Matt was held back by a hand on his shoulder. Looking back, Randy was digging in his pocket for something.

"Consider it part of your wedding gift."

Randy outstretched his hand and dropped a small container of honey in Matt's pocket.

"Go get her tonight."

Matt started to laugh and put an arm around his brother's shoulder as they went off to join the buffet line. As the night drug on, the guests slowly started to leave, one by one. Shawn, Hunter, and Eric decided to share the guest house because RAW the next day was within driving distance, rendering a trip back to San Antonio useless. The new Mr. and Mrs. Orton banned the rest of the house from coming onto the second floor. Lilian and Randy were happy to oblige, meaning that they would have to share the couch for their bed tonight. The younger Orton picked up his wife, took her up the stairs, and through the threshold into their room. Matt threw Camilla down onto the bed, took out the container of honey from his pocket and tossed it to his wife.

"Who gave you this?", Camilla asked, laughing.

"My brother. Who else?"

"Well … looks like he gave you one hell of a wedding present."

Camilla managed to take off Matt's top in a manner of seconds. She opened the container quickly and got ready to pour the whole thing on Matt's chest. However, Matt put up a hand in delay. Before anything else happened, Orton peeked out the open door. He could see someone peeking up the stairs.

"Hunter! I'm going to MKO you on the kitchen table if you don't get back in the guest house _right now!_"

The Game shrunk back down the stairs as Matt shook his head.

"_Why does he have a damn obsession over what me and Camilla do in the bedroom?"_, Matt thought. As he looked back into the room, Matt's eyes landed on something unexpected: The only thing covering Camilla's body was the blanket she had over herself as she was shaking the container of honey suggestively. Orton could only smile as he closed and locked the door behind him.

* * *

_Will this new … energy … created between the newlyweds propel them to success on Monday night? How will the betrayal of John Cena factor in to all this? Also, Eric and John face off in match #3 in the best of five series. But how will the General Manager make sure that there is order in the ring? Oh … and why __**did**__ the Undertaker appear before the Cena/Barringer matc_

_Hope you liked it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	64. Badge of Unity

_With the conclusion of the wedding, D-Generation X and Evolution … or what is left of it … arrive at RAW in nearby Kansas City. How will Stone Cold deal with this new schism between Matt Orton and John Cena? Also, Eric goes backstage to find out why the Undertaker showed up the previous week._

_And … the WWE is coming back to my hometown! WOOOOOOOOO! Smackdown__** and**__ ECW on February 8__th._

_calms down_

_Okay … here we go!_

* * *

Triple H was at the helm of the vehicle driving the rest of the gang to Kansas City. Naturally, Matt had his arm around Camilla, the two newlyweds cuddling in the backseat. Randy was also hugging on Lilian and Eric was on his cell phone talking to Lita. Shawn and Hunter were really the only two focused on what could actually happen tonight. The two elder DX members felt that they deserved a shot at the World Tag Team Championships, but were unsure of how well that would go over with Matt. Orton himself wanted to keep the belt as long as possible; he didn't like the idea of dropping the titles at all, even if it was to get the other belt off of Cena. 

"Matt, it's going to have to happen if we're gonna become tag champs. All you have to do is MKO him and walk off", Shawn insisted.

"But you and Hunter would want to win the belts honorably! I mean … just handing you the straps on a silver platter … I can't do that! I'm sure you two wouldn't want that … _right?_", Matt said, looking towards the front of the car.

Shawn looked over to his best friend and both men shrugged their shoulders. "I don't know", HBK said. "I kind of like silver platters."

"Yeah", commented HHH. "With those tiny little cocktail sausages on them."

"Did you just say 'cocktail sausages'?", Shawn asked. The two men start to laugh like 10-year-olds over a poop joke. The rest of the car rolled their eyes collectively.

"And I thought Matt and Randy were bad", commented Lilian. Camilla scoffed and nodded her head in agreement while the brothers smirked. Lilian continued.

"Anyway … Matt, it's not like this is the end of the world. I've been out there at ringside for a long while. I've seen stranger stuff happen. Everyone will understand what you would do. It has happened more than once; a tag champ turns on his partner for some reason. And since Cena isn't exactly in favor with the fans, they'll understand too!"

"But it's not a matter of whether or not people will like this! It's a matter of whether _I_ will like it … and I don't! I don't like sacrificing _my_ honor just to humiliate some low-life, disreputable, has-been rapper!"

The car came to a screeching halt at the side of the road. Triple H calmly put the car in park and turned off the ignition. Taking a deep breath, Hunter reached in the back of his mind and pulled out a piece of wisdom.

"Matt … if there's anyone who knows what its means to turn on your partner, it's me. Listen, I know that there's one thing we can agree on: you don't want to be partners with Cena. And if you don't want to be partners with Cena, you'll have to stab him in the back … err … I guess the front in this instance. You aren't sacrificing your honor; you're _defending_ it. Those tag titles are now tainted. We have to do whatever it takes to restore the honor that rightfully belongs to those belts, whether it is you and Randy or Shawn and I. Think about that."

Hunter turned the car on again and pulled back onto the highway. A little stunned, Matt looked towards his brother, expecting some sort of additional advice.

"_That was just a bunch of eloquent bullcrap, but the idea is the same. Those belts belong to this family. The way we get them back is in your hands."_

The younger Orton looked down at his half of the World Tag Team Championship on the floorboard of the car, more specifically, the name plate. Never did he want to see the word 'Orton' off that belt. As a matter of fact, he wanted the word 'Orton' on both belts more than ever before. 'Triple H' and 'Shawn Michaels' were acceptable, but 'Randy Orton' and 'Matthew Orton' were optimal.

"I need to stop worrying about this", Matt said out loud, a small smile creeping over his face. "Because pretty soon, I'll have my name on two belts."

The sound of a cell phone closing didn't permeate the verbal battle that then ensued between the brothers. Eric looked behind him at the two arguing men and sighed.

"_You know … I get so goddamn tired of this. They argue more than anything … even over the pointless things … anyway …_"

Eric faked a cough, trying to get Matt and Randy's attention. Another louder cough filled the air, but still didn't stop the bickering. Rolling his eyes, Barringer motioned towards Lilian and Camilla. The two women didn't even have to talk to each other to know what to do; each slammed a closed fist into the stomachs of their respective men.

Randy and Matt each clutched their midsections and started to cough violently.

"What was that for?", angrily asked Randy. Lilian quietly pointed to Eric in the seat ahead of them.

"Now … Lita's been crawling around backstage over in Kansas City and she's been able to sleuth out some tidbits of information relating to tonight, some of which you two won't like. First, Austin's not letting you ref the rest of the matches, Matt."

Matt slumped back in his seat with no visible change in demeanor. "Saw that coming. Although I was holding out hope that Stone Cold would tip the scales in my favor."

"She also said that the title match between you two has been postponed." Although the brothers started to whine, Eric continued. "Instead you'll be tagging up with an Orton, Matt."

"I get to tag with Randy?!", Matt exclaimed, a smile quickly replacing the frown on his face.

"Not Randy, but …", Eric's gaze floated over to the newest Orton.

Camilla's face brightened up like Christmas lights in December, grabbing onto Matt's arm like a vise. The younger Orton looked at his wife in both shock and eagerness.

"I think Austin's just playing on the fact that you two just got married. He's putting you against Jericho and Torrie in a mixed tag team match."

Matt seemed uneasy, but Camilla was as smug and confident as ever. Matt still remembered how much the Walls of Jericho hurt, but Camilla looked like she was ready to snap Torrie in half.

"Wait …", interrupted Randy, "… so am I left without a match this week again?!"

"And what about us?", asked Shawn. "We want our title shot!"

"You two", Eric said, pointing at the rest of DX, "will take part in an 8 team over-the-top-rope battle royal. Winners get a shot at the tag titles next week."

Shawn and Hunter gave each other a high-five, but Matt looked resigned in the back. With this feud with Jericho, his rivalry with Randy, and the tag belt situation with Cena, his plate was getting very full very quickly.

"_Then look at it like this, Matt…"_, thought Randy. _"…with the tag belts off your waist, you won't have as much to worry about. All you have to worry about is me and Jericho."_

"_You mean I would just have to worry about Jericho."_

"_You stupid little…"_

"And then you get to face Taker, Randy."

Eric's comment shattered Randy's sense of cockiness. His smug demeanor was wiped clean and was replaced with the same look of shock that Matt had earlier, but it was accompanied by fear instead of happiness. Matt shrunk back in his seat; it was rare that Randy looked so scared.

"What the hell did I deserve to do this? I mean … I should be facing Matt instead of the Undertaker!"

Eric shrugged at Randy's now high-pitched voice. "Tell that to Austin. To tell you the truth, I think he's just trying to test you. I mean … there _are_ other contenders for that belt of yours besides Matt and Jericho. Besides …" Eric took a deep breath. "… I think Austin is setting Taker up for a title shot after I win the belt from Cena."

"That's the kind of attitude I want from you, Barringer", Shawn said. "Prove to everyone in the back that you deserve that title around your waist. Hell, you'll be the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in history. Think about how _that's_ gonna look in the record books."

Eric put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his seat. The big gold belt in his possession wasn't the biggest thing on his mind. Impressing his best friend … no … _getting revenge_ for his best friend was now the reason for defeating John Cena.

* * *

The match for the newly married Ortons was the first for the night, and Eric used this opportunity to pursue one of his more personal demons … quite literally. After wishing Matt and Camilla good luck, Eric slipped out of the locker room to go find the Undertaker. Walking through the halls in the back, Barringer could hear Chris Jericho's music echoing through the walls. 

"_Heh … 'break the walls down'. Yeah right"_, Eric thought to himself as he passed by Chris Jericho's locker room. However, Barringer spun around when he heard the door opening. Eric ducked behind a large crate when he realized that John Cena was the one walking out of the room.

"_Cena? What the hell was he doing in Jericho's locker room?"_

Eric peeked out from behind the crate, but unfortunately locked eyes with his adversary. John snapped and charged right at Eric, knocking Barringer out from behind the crate before Eric could hide again. Cena mercilessly laid right arm after right arm into Barringer's face despite Eric's best efforts to get Cena off of him. With a stroke of luck, one of Cena's swings completely missed, and Eric shoved the Doctor of Thuganomics off of him with only brute force. Still dizzied from Cena's flurry, Barringer balanced himself back on his feet, only to see John charging at him like a mad bull. Eric couldn't move in time, and braced himself for another takedown.

But someone moved Eric for him.

Barringer was shoved to the side, causing Cena to stop in his tracks. A large, black silhouette stood in between the two men. Eric's heart nearly stopped; although he wasn't afraid of the Undertaker anymore, seeing Taker's figure pop out from nowhere was still a little unnerving. Taker stood and looked down at the scared rapper in front of him. Cena stood rooted to the spot as Taker wrapped one hand around his neck. Like a scared little boy, John managed to wriggle himself from the Undertaker's grasp and ran off in the opposite direction.

Eric was still catching his breath as he got to his feet. Taker was still looking at Cena running away full speed.

"Why were you there last week?", Eric asked forcefully. "And why did you help me now?"

The Undertaker didn't turn around or respond.

"**Answer me, dammit!**"

Barringer was now standing at attention right behind the Deadman. He could hear Taker chuckle once, then watched as the large man slowly turned around to face him.

"I'd be wrong to say that I don't want revenge for the last time you beat me, Barringer. However, you have gained my respect. And that peon …", Taker pointed down the hallway, "… doesn't deserve to be in the same ring as me."

Taker said no more, and walked off in the opposite direction.

"_I've got to tell the guys!"_, Eric thought, and he started to run back towards the locker room. However, Barringer stopped and looked back to the open door to Jericho's room. Inside was an open laptop, with an e-mail client active on the desktop.

After reading the message that someone had left open, Eric sped out of the room towards the stage. Stopping just for one moment to look at the monitor beside the sound guy, Eric realized that it was too late. John had Matt locked in the STFU while Jericho and Torrie were restraining Camilla. The sound guy quickly put on the DX music, and the fans heard '**BREAK IT DOWN!**' as Eric ran down to the stage. Like cowards, Jericho and Torrie let go and immediately scampered off. However, Cena kept his focus on Orton, who now looked unconscious. Camilla stood back as Eric ripped John off of Matt's body and applied his own hold: the Camel Clutch. As Camilla tried to revive her husband, Cena was squirming under Barringer's grasp; Eric obviously wanted John to suffer.

John, however, was saved by a group of referees who came to break the fight up. The other half of the World Tag Team Champions escaped the ring and grabbed his belt before making his way up the ramp to where Chris Jericho and Torrie Wilson were standing. Torrie lifted the arms of the two men high in the air, letting everyone know of the alliance that had been kept hidden. Eric remained in the ring, nearly foaming at the mouth.

"_You'll get yours, Cena. Whether it be from me, Matt, or Randy … you'll have your little trio squashed to a pulp soon."_

* * *

Camilla and Eric lugged the unconscious Orton back to the locker room, where Randy took charge of caring for his little brother. Shawn and Hunter left the room now to go to the battle royal. 

"He was in cahoots with Jericho the entire time", Eric said out loud. "He was the one who asked Jericho to go after Matt from the beginning."

"Wait! Wait!", exclaimed Randy. "Who is _he_?"

"Cena! I saw him coming out of Jericho's locker room and I read an e-mail on Jericho's laptop about the little deal they made. They're … they're coming after us. They want me and you three gone."

Randy looked down at his brother and started to shake.

"If I hadn't gotten down there as quick as I did … Matt could have been seriously injured", Eric added.

Eric looked up at the Orton family: Camilla was still in tears, Randy was red in the face with pure hatred, and Matt was just now coming to. Eric watched as Randy got up and started to pound on the door of the locker right next to him.

Barringer didn't remember something until he saw Randy's upper back. Eric had gotten the same tattoo as did the brothers as a reminder that he was part of the family.

"_It's high time I start acting like I belong."_ Eric stood up suddenly and threw his duffel bag across the room, screaming at the top of his lungs. Randy, Camilla, and even Matt looked over to the now Batista-like DX member.

"Randy …", Eric began, "… don't worry about this. You have your match with Matt next week and I'll take care of Cena. You two have all the fun. You two took down Hunter when he was in league with the Hardys, and you two took down Batista barely a couple of weeks ago! It's time for me have a turn at protecting the family!"

Randy opened his mouth to protest, but Matt lifted a hand to stop him. Holding the back of his neck, the younger Orton slowly stood up.

"Let him", Matt said, obviously still hurting. "He can take care of this for us … I know he can."

Randy stood a support beam for his brother, who was now having trouble standing. The older Orton stared at his good friend, wondering if he could entrust the honor and well-being of the family. A simple nod is all it took for Randy to show his approval.

"I want to see that belt on you. You hear me?", Randy said sternly.

Eric only nodded.

* * *

"Here are your winners and the new #1 contenders to the World Tag Team Championships, Shawn Michaels and Triple H, D-Generation X!" 

Lilian had proudly announced the winners of the battle royal after Shawn and Hunter eliminated the World's Greatest Tag Team with a double clothesline. In the back holding an ice pack on the back of his neck was Matt, who was conflicted about the results of the match. Not only did he have to have a now sworn enemy as a tag team partner, Orton had to face two of his family members for the tag belts.

Also holding an ice pack to the back of his neck was the Intercontinental belt holder, Randy Orton. His match with the Undertaker didn't go as planned. Orton was successful in reversing a chokeslam into an RKO, but the Deadman had kicked out quite forcefully. Randy attempted Matt's MKO, but Taker reversed it into a Tombstone Piledriver. After the match, Cena surprisingly had the nerve to try to land a cheap shot on the Undertaker for what had happened earlier, but received a Tombstone of his own for his troubles. Taker made the belt motion around his waist again before leaving the ring.

Now it was Eric's turn. To the best of his knowledge, Cena was still laid out in the ring … but that wasn't his problem. As DX's music played, Eric saw his opponent sitting in a corner. John's eyes were wide open, but Barringer could sense that his prey was weak. Eric climbed in the ring to meet his now stumbling opponent face to face.

"You and your little army backstage aren't going to touch the people that I care about anymore. Not only did you backstab Matt, but you betrayed the trust of me, Shawn, Hunter, Camilla, Lilian, and most importantly, Randy. You knew him for a long time, Cena. Besides Matt, he's the one you hurt the most. He was your _friend_, John. He put his whole heart in supporting you, as did the rest of us."

"Barringer …", Cena interrupted, "… I once felt the same way about you guys. You guys _were_ my friends. Hell, I loved Matt and Randy like they were my own brothers. But listen to this one sentence, Eric … Nothing lasts forever. Friendships get broken. I have to move on. I'm tired of playing these little games with you and the 'family'. _Your_time is up, Eric. _My_ time is now."

And then, the bell rang.

John caught Eric off guard and tripped up the DX member with a quick drop-toe hold. Barringer could see the STFU coming and flipped on his back quickly to block the move. Cena charged at him much like earlier in the evening, but Eric had wised up to this and sent Cena shoulder-first into a turnbuckle post. Eric followed up by flipping John and delivering several stomps to the chest, putting Cena on his rear down in the corner.

Full of confidence, Eric decided that John wasn't worth anymore of his time. He let the crowd know as well, retreating to the opposite corner and tuning up the band. Backstage, Shawn was wondering why Eric was doing this in full view of his opponent; Cena could easily see the Sweet Chin Music coming and reverse it.

But Eric knew what he was doing. As Cena got to his feet, Eric started the sequence for the superkick. Sure enough, Cena made the move to reverse it, but Barringer faked out and ducked behind his opponent. The next thing Cena saw a foot coming towards his chin. John fell in a crumple to the floor as the crowd popped wildly for Eric successfully pulling off the move.

"_I'm not finished yet."_

Deciding to make both of his elders proud, Eric picked his unconscious opponent up and put him in the position for the Pedigree. Hunter smirked as he watched Cena's face rammed into the ground.

"1, 2…"

No one ever got to hear the third count. With a steel chair in hand, Chris Jericho made it to the ring and slammed it into the back of Eric's head. After Barringer collapsed to the ground, Jericho slipped out of the ring to grab another chair. Evidently, Jericho was going for a conchairto, as he grabbed a loose spare chair from ringside. Lilian caught wind of this and screamed at Eric to try to revive him. Jericho saw this, however, and swung the chair over the top rope, missing Lilian by inches.

This was enough to send Randy into a frenzy. Orton powered through the pain from the back of his head and sped out towards the ring, his brother following close behind. As they broke through the curtain, Jericho had just raised his chair into the air for the strike. However, Randy dove into the ring and speared Jericho down perfectly. Matt took the chair out from underneath Eric's head and helped his best friend back to his feet.

Randy was beating Jericho to a bloody pulp outside the ring. Out of the corner of his eye, Randy could see John creeping up behind him with a steel chair raised high above his head. But he didn't need to react. Matt had slipped out of the ring and spun Cena around. Orton knocked the chair out of his tag team partner's hands and quickly delivered an MKO, conveniently onto the very chair Cena dropped.

Both Cena and Jericho were now bloodied and laid out on the floor. Eric was bleeding as well, but not nearly as severe. As RAW ended for the night, the viewers saw Eric, Randy, and Matt all with their backs turned to the crowd. Each one of them lifted one arm in the air in victory, emphasizing the very same tattoo all three men had on their backs. More now than ever before, Eric felt like had joined the ranks of his two best friends.

* * *

_Next time, Evolution and D-Generation X take a much needed break at the very same water park Matt, Randy, and Camilla visited earlier in the year. Shawn and Hunter talk with Matt about the World Tag Team Championships, and Randy and Lilian help Eric reflect on what could be a World Heavyweight Championship reign. Barringer also has a important conversation with his girlfriend, Lita._

_I hope everyone had/is having a great holiday season!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	65. Love and War

_Although the whole gang is in New Braunfels, Texas relaxing at the water park, our superstars can't get away from the events that take place in the ring. Then, John Cena comes out on Monday night to explain himself to the world._

_Here we go!_

* * *

Eric Barringer lounged in the giant wave pool in his inner tube, looking up at the clear blue sky through a pair of sunglasses. Even though he could hear the multitude of other park guests pass by him, Eric felt like he was the only one there. After getting his second win on Monday night, Barringer came to the realization that he was just one victory away from becoming the World Heavyweight Champion. Although it wasn't for certain that the belt would be around his waist, Eric could almost feel the weight of the strap on his shoulder. 

However, Barringer could now feel two sets of hands on the bottom of his inner tube flipping him over into the water. As Eric came back up to the surface, he looked at the laughing faces of Shawn and Hunter.

"You looked like you were daydreamin' there, Eric", commented Shawn. "You know, you gotta learn to watch your back."

Suddenly, a pair of hands forced Shawn's head underwater. Hunter started to laugh uncontrollably as he watched Lita dunk HBK. Eric swam over and gave his girlfriend a hug.

"Where have you been?", Eric asked. "You slipped away from me when we got here!"

"I had to get my grub on before I got in the water! You know that!"

"Aren't you supposed to wait an hour before you get in the water after you eat?!"

"You know that's just an old wives tale. Besides, if we ate in the middle of the day, I'd get water all over the food!"

Eric rolled his eyes and continued to talk with Lita. Meanwhile, Shawn and Hunter watched as the young couple walked out of the wave pool.

"You know", Hunter began, "they'd make a fair couple. Reminds me of me and Steph when we first met."

"Let's just hope that he takes just as much time as you two did to marry. I'm not liking this trend of quick matrimonies that the Ortons started."

"Oh, lighten up! You can tell that those kids love each other. You only don't like it because you're too used to tradition. Plus … you're just getting old."

Shawn gave Hunter a look and promptly began a dunking battle. Eric and Lita looked back and laughed before walking over to the ice cream stand, where each bought the other some snow cones.

"You remind me a lot of what life used to be before all this", Barringer said after the pair sat down at a nearby bench. "It's like I have a friend who I can talk to about everything."

"And Matt doesn't do that for you?"

"Well … don't get me wrong, Matt will be my best friend for life. But all we talk about now is related to what goes on in the ring. I mean, we joke a bit, but not nearly as much as we did back in high school. You, on the other hand, you …", Eric struggled to find the right words. "… you take me back a long way. I mean, I've been doing a lot of things I wouldn't have thought of. Like those Bronco Busters I pulled off; that was my favorite move when me and Matt used to watch wrestling together on Monday nights. And karaoke? I did that when I was a kid and stopped when I thought it was too embarrassing. I guess … you make me feel like a kid again."

Lita smiled and brushed her hair to the side. "You know, Eric. When you first came up to me after I learned how Matt Hardy cheated on me with Torrie, I thought you were just a guy looking to score."

"_For a couple of days … yeah, I was"_, Eric thought.

"But after we spent some time together, I realized you were a cool guy. Then I found out how old you actually were."

Both Eric and Lita shared a chuckle at the 10-year difference between the two.

(**A/N:** Lita would have been 28 in 2003.)

"Normally, I wouldn't have even considered being with someone that young. I always thought I wanted a mature man in my life. But then you … you brought out the little girl in me. And … and I like that. I like the little jokes you make and all the little pranks you pull. You make me feel like a teenager again."

"Lita, I…"

"Please ... call me Amy."

Eric's face blushed a deep shade of red, sending Amy into a fit of laughter. To get Eric's mind off things, she tossed the rest of her snow cone directly onto his chest.

"**Oh jeez!****Cold! Really cold!**", Eric exclaimed as he shot up off the bench. Amy's laughter filled the immediate area as Eric dove back into the warmer water in the wave pool. Amy then took the rest of Eric's left over snow cone and started eating it. When Eric emerged from the water and saw Amy still on the bench, he chuckled.

"Look behind you!", she yelled.

Eric spun around, only to be dunked back under the water, this time by the Orton brothers. Lilian and Camilla, who had just arrived with the boys from the other half of the water park, joined Amy on the bench.

"You look happy", commented Lilian. "Did they spike the snow cone syrup with something?"

Amy laughed briefly before answering. "No … I just … you know that feeling when you think you've possibly found someone that you're really interested in?"

"That fuzzy feeling in your stomach?", asked Camilla. "I remember that well when I first met Matthew."

"He's funny, easy-going, and we both complement each other really well."

"Can you see yourself with him?", asked Lilian.

"Marriage? Let's slow down here! I'm not one to rush into things, unlike you", Amy responded. "We're just friends now. But … but I definitely don't see any ending to our relationship anytime soon."

"Well … answer me this then. Do you love him?"

Amy smiled uneasily, looked at both Camilla and Lilian, then at the concrete floor. "I … I think I do."

* * *

As the morning turned into afternoon, the whole gang returned to the main section of the water park, where Eric, Amy, Randy, and Lilian went off to race down the tube chutes. Shawn, Hunter, Matt, and Camilla went off to buy some lunch. 

"Do you remember the last time we were here eating?", Matt asked. "Randy puked his guts all over the bathroom wall."

"What now?", asked a curious Shawn.

"I lost a bet to Randy and I had to buy him one of everything on the menu. He ate it all … but it didn't stay down."

Hunter now looked like he had an idea.

"How's about an eating contest then? Prove to me that you've got an iron stomach."

Matt cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "Alright then. You and Shawn against me and Camilla."

Shawn and Camilla each took one big step backwards.

"I think you two can have all the fun", Camilla said quickly. "I gotta watch the figure, you know."

"Yeah, me too", Shawn hastily replied. "You know … gotta watch my figure too." Hunter and Matt could tell Shawn was looking for an excuse, but they both shoved it to the side. On the way to the concession stand, Hunter and Matt never took their eyes off each other, giving each other death stares.

"Aren't they taking this a little too seriously?", Camilla asked HBK.

"Hunter treats every competition like a world championship match. He won't hold back here … and he won't hold back come Monday night."

Camilla nodded in agreement as she watched Hunter and Matt come back with plates loaded up with turkey legs.

"You're not gonna let him hurt Matt too badly, right?"

"Hopefully it won't come to that. Hunter means well, but he doesn't like to take it easy on anybody … even me."

Camilla remembered back to the intense feud that took place between HBK and HHH in mid-to-late 2002, especially the street fight between the pair at SummerSlam.

"We just need to convince Matt to leave Cena high and dry."

"And that's not going to be easy. My hubby's too proud and stubborn to let go of his damn belt."

"I heard that!", Matt shouted in between chomps. Hunter and Matt were racing through their third turkey leg each and it looked as if neither plate had even a dent in them.

"Guys, stop! This is pointless! And we really need to talk about this!"

But there was no response. Both men had mouthfuls of turkey and were too focused on their little contest to listen. Camilla took two turkey legs and whacked each man in the back of the head.

"Damn meatheads … anyway, listen to us. Both of you. Matt, you need to seriously think about the match on Monday. You took this trip to avoid the issue and you need to face it right now!"

Matt dropped the turkey leg in his hand and looked down at his plate. Looking up at Triple H in front of him, then Shawn Michaels to his left, Orton gave a loud sigh.

"I … I just think there's a chance to get Cena back. He's obviously just pissed off or something. All I have to do is … is …"

"Orton, there's no chance at all of that happening", Triple H sternly interrupted. "Cena should have been put in the looney bin. All this talk of him reliving what went on in college is bullcrap. It was all just a story to suck you in and soften you up. If anything, Orton, that's your one weakness: you're too soft. You're a great athlete and a great thinker in the ring, but if you can't learn to separate yourself from the people who hate you, you're not going to last much longer in this business!"

Matt's eyes sunk down to the plate of unfinished turkey legs in front of him.

"I'm just afraid of being separated from my family."

"Cena isn't part of the family anymore!"

"That's easy for you to say!", Matt yelled out, catching the attention of some of the other park guests. "I put a lot of heart into John, and now it's gone! A part of me is gone for good! I just want to have a chance to retrieve that! What the hell is wrong with that?"

Matt got up and stormed off towards one of the large pools. Shawn and Hunter followed suit quickly, but Camilla stayed behind to pick at the remaining legs of turkey. At first, it seemed as if the two founding members of D-Generation X lost the youngest Orton, but Shawn caught him at one of the water cannons launching shots at random park goers.

"I don't need to hear what you two have to say!"

Matt, acting like a little kid, turned the water cannon towards Shawn and Hunter and let loose all he could fire at the duo. Shawn was knocked into the pool, but Hunter persisted through the stream and managed to rip Orton from the controls.

"We're trying to help you, Matt! If you want, I can revert back to the way I was when I first recruited you to Evolution and start beating your ass right here and now! Calm down and sit yourself back on that bench!"

Orton wanted to appear non-intimidated, but Triple H's mean streak was one of the things that really instilled fear in him. Both men helped Shawn climb out of the pool and the trio returned back to where Camilla was sitting. Matt sat down and put his head down in his hands.

"What the hell did you do to him?", asked Camilla. "It takes something big to make him act like a 5-year old."

"We played 'Good Cop, Bad Cop', except there wasn't a good cop", replied Hunter. "Little mister Orton over there needs to learn how to let go … and I had to physically threaten him to do it. I'm sorry about that, Matt, but listen to what I have to say: If you want to get that piece of heart Cena tore away, beat it out of him. Nothing relieves stress and frustration better than taking your fist and ramming straight into the head of …"

"That's quite enough, Hunter", Shawn interrupted. "We're better than that now."

"This isn't going to end anytime soon if Matt doesn't learn how to separate himself from the people he used to associate with."

"How about this then?", Matt interjected in a small and strained voice. "I take out Cena at the beginning of the match Monday night and I defend the belts against you two by myself."

Shawn and Hunter sighed, looking at the ground.

"And what good will that do?", Shawn queried. "If you win, you'll just be stuck with the titles with Cena again."

Camilla put her arm around Matt and patted him on the back. "Look at it this way; you don't want to tire yourself out for the match against your brother on Monday."

Matt's head shot straight up in shock; he had completely forgotten about the match for the Intercontinental Championship. Hunter and Shawn realized they might have reached a compromise and eagerly awaited Matt's response. Orton looked at his wife and his two mentors again before deciding on…

"Fine", Matt said tersely and loudly. "I don't know what I'm going to do, but you … you two are becoming World Tag Team Champions next Monday."

"Listen …", Shawn began, "… we're not gonna call ourselves champions until we beat someone worthy enough. Just get past this hump in the road and we'll be waiting for you."

"And we'll be knocking right at your doorstep", came a voice from behind everyone.

Matt spun around to see his brother jogging up to sit down beside him. Randy snatched one of the remaining turkey legs from his brother's plate and started to ravenously tear it apart.

"He had said he was hungry", Lilian commented, catching up to her fiancée along with Eric and Amy, "but I had no idea he was_starving_!"

"He just needs his energy before he loses Monday, that's all", snapped a happier Matt. Randy elbowed his brother in the gut in response, starting a chain of verbal cuts and bruises.

"I bet you that would have gone a lot better if Randy was here in the first place", whispered Hunter over to Shawn. "That man has me confused sometimes. Matt's got a serious tie to emotion that he needs to deal with or it'll get him in trouble. This Cena situation is bad enough."

Shawn took a deep breath as he looked on at the brothers bickering like they were 10 years old.

"Then this needs to end soon."

Meanwhile, Eric, Camilla, Amy, and Lilian finally sat down and started eating some of the remaining turkey legs; there was plenty enough left for everyone to have one.

"So", Lilian said, "how does our future World Heavyweight Champion plan to beat Cena senseless Monday night?"

"Heh … well, I was hoping Matt would soften him up for me during his match with Shawn and Hunter."

"Well, hold on now!", Orton exclaimed. "If I do that, I want a title shot the next week!"

"You? Title shot?", Randy shot back. "I should get a World title shot before you, little man!"

"_Little_ man?"

"Oh, for the love of God…", Camilla said, rolling her eyes and putting her head down on the table. Amy started to laugh hysterically, however, gaining the looks of the other women at the table.

"What?", she asked innocently. "This is hilarious!"

Eric tried to get the brothers to stop bickering, but was unsuccessful. Beckoning over to his two DX-mates, Shawn and Hunter each slapped the back of the closest Orton's head quite forcefully.

"**OW!**"

"Hey, guys, this is my moment, ok? Don't take this from me", Eric said, quieting down Randy and Matt. "All joking aside, I could be World Heavyweight Champion Monday night. 18 years old and I could have the big gold belt around my waist … I really can't believe it."

"And you'd be the youngest one ever", Lilian added. "No one's ever held that belt as a teenager."

"You've got the Orton energy on you too", Randy said, slapping Eric on the back where his tattoo was. "I still can't believe you got that. Hell, if it weren't for that long orange hair of yours, I'd think you were another long lost brother."

"So should I get it cut? Or dye it black?"

"Whoa! Whoa! Hold on!", shouted out Amy. "You look perfectly handsome just the way you are. You don't need to become pretty boys like Randy and Matt over here."

"We're not pretty boys!", the brothers said in unison.

Amy gave them a stern look, and ignored their response.

"Just stay the way you are. Nothing more."

The rest of the group all turned their heads towards Amy and Eric, whose eyes were now locked with each other's. Each presented a slight smile before leaning in for a kiss. Matt and Camilla both looked at each other before doing the same thing. Randy and Lilian followed suit.

Hunter and Shawn then looked at each other.

"Don't_even_ think about it", HBK muttered.

* * *

The sound of John Cena's theme music filled the arena in Seattle, Washington to kick off Monday Night RAW. As Cena stepped out onto the stage, he began to ignore the torrent of negativity being sent his way. Most hurt were his young fans; the kids absolutely couldn't believe that their favorite Superstar would turn on his tag team partner, especially when Evolution was back on a roll towards capturing all the brand's belts again. Cena climbed into the ring and quickly snatched the microphone from a scared Lilian, who hastily scurried out of the ring. 

"I bet you all want some answers, huh? I bet you want to know exactly why I did what I did last week! For those of you chumps who don't know what I'm talking about, here's what you missed!"

Cena then pointed to the TitanTron, where the clip of him knocking out Eric with the STFU played. Then, the whole arena watched again as Randy barely saved Matt from being FUed.

"You see ...", John began, "... I had been wanting to lead a new group to dominate Monday nights. A new phase of Evolution, if you will. You see, D-Generation X and the Evolution of old were stale. I needed a new posse ... a new group. I know what is best for those under me. I don't need anyone to tell me what to do! I am tired of being a sidekick!"

John only began to draw more heat from the crowd.

"I needed to recruit some people I thought worthy. At once, my good friend Chris Jericho came to mind. Of course, I had to include his lovely lady Torrie Wilson. After all, every good group needs a Diva. At first, I thought it was complete. Just the three of us. I thought Jericho and I could tear through the ranks while Torrie would dominate the women's roster. _That's_ why I nearly FUed my best friend."

The crowd wasn't exactly buying it. Neither was Lilian, who was seated in front of Matthew's three equally in-disbelief friends, Michael, Adrian, and Travis.

"But during the last part of the week, I got to thinking. Matt and I have been the most dominant tag team that this show has seen in quite some time. Why not include him? I would take the World Championship, Matt and I would share the Tag Championship, Jericho would hold the Intercontinental Championship, and Torrie would be the Women's Champ. So, I'm going to extend my hand to my best friend to come join this new group. Matt, I want you to come out and be the first one officially inducted into my Chain Gang!"

Cena lowered the mic and hoisted his half of the World Tag Team Championship onto his shoulder, waiting for his partner to come on the stage. Sure enough, 'Line in the Sand' began to play and Matthew Orton stepped out onto the stage. Clad in an Evolution t-shirt, his gold wrestling gear, and his half of the tag titles, Orton asked Lilian for a microphone before stepping into the ring.

"Do … do you really think I'm going to join your little gang here, Cena? You stepped away from all you could ever want! You stepped away from friends, from family, from titles, from …"

"I never had **power**, Matt. I was only a sidekick! But here in my Chain Gang, I am on top! I'm the big cheese! You see, Jericho and Torrie have already accepted that under my leadership …"

"Cut the crap, Cena. I don't need your explanation. You're no better than what Triple H used to be. You're no better than that piece of crap Batista who tried to permanently end our family! You're no better"

_SLAP!_

The crowd collectively drew in the breath as they saw Matt reel back from John's slap.

"Consider your application rejected, Orton."

Matt could feel the anger rising in his face rapidly. His fists were starting to ball up down by his sides, and he could have pulled the trigger at any moment.

Instead, the sound of glass breaking filled the arena. The General Manager walked out onto the stage smiling like he just hit the jackpot.

"What the hell are you two boys doing? Arguing right before your title defense! You're never going to keep those belts if you keep bickering at each other like that! And I want no tricks from either of you! Cena, if you try anything or get yourself disqualified, you automatically forfeit your last match with Eric Barringer and he becomes the World Heavyweight Champion!"

A big smile covered Matt's face.

"I haven't forgotten about you, son! If you try anything or get yourself disqualified, Orton, I strip the Intercontinental title from your brother and Cena automatically wins his other match tonight!"

That smile was wiped clean. For the moment, Matt would have to actually have to work together with the man standing right next to him.

"**BREAK IT DOWN!**"

There wasn't any time to think; Shawn and Hunter were already on their way down to the ring.

"_Great … now what the hell am I going to do?"_

* * *

_Uh oh. Matt's gonna have a hell of time pulling this one off. What will Orton do to give Hunter and Shawn the tag team titles? Plus, will Eric become the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history? And what of the Intercontinental title?_

_Hope you enjoyed this one! And, yes, we are building up to a conclusion soon. I'm just not telling you when. _

_SuspiciousInitials_


	66. Stagger

_It took me about a week and a half, but I did it! Here's the next chapter!_

_The July 14__th__ edition of Monday Night RAW kicks off with the World Tag Team title match between Orton/Cena and HHH/HBK. What happens in this match determines the mood for the rest of the show. Also, Camilla finally gets the first real challenge for her Women's title. Stone Cold begins to set the tone for SummerSlam when he makes the first big match for it at the end of the night._

_Here we go!_

* * *

With an evil smirk on his face, John Cena slipped between the ropes and stood on the apron, leaving his partner to face Triple H and Shawn Michaels as they entered the ring. HBK took to the apron, leaving Hunter as the legal man. The referee rang the bell, but the two men stayed in the middle of the ring. 

"What the hell am I supposed to do?", said Orton.

"Looks you like get your wish. You get to 'honorably defend' those belts now. I'm _not_ going to hold back. You should know that by now."

"Then I won't either."

Orton launched the first attack, slamming his fist into the side of Hunter's face. Triple H countered with a fierce punch of his own, nearly knocking Matt to his knees. The Game used this to build momentum and punch Orton back to the corner, where he lifted a series of knees into Matt's midsection. Hunter whipped Orton to the opposite corner and charged at him, nearly taking his head off with a strong clothesline.

Matt stumbled to the middle of the ring and fell to his knees, while Hunter tagged Shawn in. Orton managed to get back to his feet and turned around, but immediately dove to the mat when he saw HBK's foot coming towards his face. Retreating to his corner, Matt looked up to see Shawn nodding in approval.

"_That's it …"_, Matt thought, _"… I just have to take a hit and not kick out!"_

Before Matt realized what had happened, Cena had tagged himself in by slapping Orton on the back. Matt hesitantly stepped back out onto the apron as he watched Cena lay into the Heartbreak Kid with numerous rights and lefts. After one strong punch to the stomach, Cena set up Michaels for a suplex. John started the move, but was blocked by Shawn. Repeatedly, Cena tried his fisherman's suplex, but the wily HBK kept John from completing it. Finally, John let go and threw a mini-temper tantrum, turning his back to Shawn.

Matt's heart began to race as he recognized that Michaels was charging up a round of Sweet Chin Music. Cena spun around and Michaels let it fly, but John was quick enough to run over to his corner and slap Matt on the shoulder.

"_You just signed your tag title goodbye, John."_

Orton made the signal for the MKO, and set HBK in the suplex position.

"Block it like you did Cena!", Matt whispered.

"What?"

"Just follow my lead! We have to make this look convincing!"

Albeit confused as hell, Shawn blocked the MKO just like Orton instructed. When HBK made the suplex his own, Matt swung himself over and started the motion for an RKO, mimicking his brother's method of reversal. Shawn caught onto this and pushed Matt away. Unluckily for him, Cena managed to slap Matt on the shoulder while he was against the ropes. HBK let the Sweet Chin Music fly, this time succeeding.

The crowd reeled all at once, hearing the slap of Shawn's boot against Matt's cheek. Orton's face was blank as he teetered on his feet; gravity soon pulled him down, planting him back first on the mat. HBK went for the cover, but for naught, as Cena was the legal man. John pulled Shawn off of Matt and hastily locked in the STFU, pulling back as hard as he could to get HBK to tap out. Hunter quickly dashed in and broke the hold, pulling Cena off and throwing him into a corner. Michaels decided to take Matt out of harm's way and rolled him out of the ring in front of Lilian, who immediately attended to the nearly unconscious man.

The referee finished sending Hunter back to his corner as Shawn got back to his feet. John attempted his fisherman's suplex one more time and, this time, managed to lift HBK in the air. However, Shawn stole a page from the Orton playbook and reversed Cena's suplex in the same manner that Matt did earlier in the match.

_SMACK!_

Resonating like the crack of a whip, Shawn's boot met with the face of John Cena. Much to the delight of the crowd, John fell to the ground like a piece of stiff plywood. With the help of Lilian, Matt got to his feet to see a newly tagged in Triple H give Cena a Pedigree.

"1, 2, 3!"

Matt leaned against the announce table to allow Lilian to say …

"Here are your winners … and the **new** World Tag Team Champions, Shawn Michaels and Triple H, D-Generation X!"

Hunter and Shawn lifted their newly acquired belts in the air while Matt slowly crept back into the ring. Holding the back of his head, Orton looked down at the unconscious man at his feet. He shook his head in disapproval, and exchanged hand shakes with each of the new champs.

"I got you good, didn't I?", asked the Heartbreak Kid.

"How are there two of you?", Matt asked, his vision still marred from HBK's superkick to the face. DX managed a chuckle and helped the younger Orton out of the ring. Even though he couldn't see straight and couldn't stand on his own two feet, Matt managed to come to one conclusion.

"_Forget you, Cena. We gave you everything and you do this? You're done. You, Torrie, and Jericho … you're all __**done**__."_

HBK and HHH could feel Matt shaking in their grasp.

"Jeez, Shawn … how hard _did_ you hit him? He's about to collapse!"

"No … look at his face."

Hunter looked down to see Matt's eyes wide open, but staring down at the floor. After the pair carried Orton behind the curtain and set him down on a nearby chair, Matt looked up with a face full of conviction and confidence.

"Thank you. For everything."

Shawn and Hunter looked at each other. "For what?", Shawn asked. "For kicking you in the head?"

"Well … no. For making me realize that I don't need him anymore. That man isn't the Cena that I knew when I first met him last year. He's not my partner anymore. He's not in the family anymore."

Matt looked down at the ground and closed his eyes.

"He's not my friend anymore, and there's nothing I can do to get him back."

Hunter now had a small sense of satisfaction. Orton was beginning to separate himself from his emotions. Matt had finally stopped latching on to those who betrayed him, and, in Hunter's mind, that was the first step to completely maturing.

* * *

When DX brought Matt back to the locker room, Randy took him aside and started to take care of his opponent later on in the night. 

"I gotta help you rest … I wouldn't want you to be defenseless when I kick your ass out there tonight."

The younger Orton rolled his eyes and turned to pound fists with his best friend, who just walked by the brothers. Eric went over and sat with his two mentors, who had finished changing into their street clothes. Barringer was jumpy, anxious about his possible win.

"I think you guys just handed me the belt, pulverizing Cena like that. He's putty in my hands tonight. All I do is slap on my Camel Clutch and …"

"_Don't_ get too cocky, Eric", Shawn interrupted. "Cena's still a threat. Besides, you shouldn't be thanking us. Thank Matt over there for taking the first big hit."

Eric looked over to Matt, who nonchalantly waved his hand in the air, an icepack now on the back of his head. Barringer chuckled and went to start gearing up. Eric slipped off his shirt as he was walking past Amy, eliciting a smile from her. Camilla noticed this and smiled, shaking her head.

"Evidently, there's a little spark between you two. You really like him, don't you?"

"Well … he _is_ a sweetie … a **hot** sweetie." Amy twirled part of her hair in between two of her fingers while staring at the spot where Eric disappeared behind a door.

"I recognize that look; it's the same face I put on when I first saw Matt."

"No … no … I mean, he's incredibly attractive, he's the funniest person on the planet, he makes me feel like I'm a teenager again …"

"What else more could you need?"

Camilla winked, hoping that Amy would pick up the hint.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You can't sucker me into this 'quick marriage' thing you guys have going! I need more time than just a few months! Heck, we haven't been together for that long at all!"

"I'm not saying that you two need to get married right away. Just keep it in the back of your mind."

Amy sighed and looked back over to the now opening door, where Eric had emerged, fully clothed in his long green pants and green bandana he wrapped around his long orange hair. Eric sat down next to Amy and put his arm around her; in return, Amy put her head on his shoulder.

Randy looked over to the couple and recognized the same aura that surrounded his brother and Camilla as well as himself and Lilian whenever they were together.

"It's the tattoo!", he shouted over to Eric. "Chicks dig it!"

Barringer rolled his eyes, only to get a chuckle from Amy. Matt and Randy, Shawn and Hunter, and Eric and Amy all started chatting it up, filling the room with sound.

But nothing could be louder than the piercing scream coming from the monitor. Everyone's eyes floated over to see Torrie Wilson, of all people, with a microphone in her hand in the middle of the ring. Camilla let out an audible chuckle.

"Does she _really_ think that she stands a chance against me?"

"What makes you think she's trying to get _your_ attention?", Amy asked.

"All the Divas around here want this title!", Camilla replied, lifting the Women's Championship onto her lap. "All of them want a shot at this and all they can do is bitch and moan on the mic for a chance at me."

"Is that so?" An idea popped into her head as she got up and said, "I'll be right back."

With a smug look on her face, Amy got up and exited the room. Camilla looked over at her husband, evidently clueless as to why Amy did so.

"Was it something I said?"

In the ring, Torrie was trying her best to get her point across to the audience both at home and in the arena, but they wouldn't have it at all.

"That little …"

"**What?**"

"Why won't you …"

"**What?**"

"Shut up!"

"**What?**"

Music interrupted the exchange. However, it wasn't "Line in the Sand" as much of the audience expected. Lita's music echoed throughout the arena, making the fans explode in cheers that nearly shattered the windows. Glad to be back out under the bright lights, Lita went around the ring and took a microphone from Lilian before stepping up and into the squared circle.

"I don't think _anyone_ wants to hear you anymore, Torrie. You haven't done a damn thing to deserve a title shot. Oh, and I haven't forgotten who you took away from me."

A quiet murmur overcame the audience, remembering the fate of Matt Hardy.

"As a matter of fact, I actually took a little bit of pleasure in seeing Matt Orton almost smash his face in. And, come to think of it, I think that these fans would _love_ to see me do the same to _you_."

Lita dropped the microphone and started to advance on a quickly retreating Torrie. The scared Diva was already halfway up the ramp before glass shattered.

"Honey", Stone Cold said as he stepped out from behind the curtain, "you better trot your scared ass back down to that ring. We're gonna have ourselves a little match!"

Torrie then started to beg Austin to reconsider, but Lita wouldn't have any of it. She hopped over the top rope and strolled up the ramp to grab Torrie by the hair. Backstage, Eric whooped and hollered as Lita started to pound on Torrie in the corner with hard slaps and closed fists. Grabbing fistfuls of hair, Lita forcefully threw Torrie halfway across the ring lack a sack of potatoes. She then rammed the toe of her boot into Wilson's stomach over and over again, forcing the referee to restrain her. Lita finally backed off and went over to climb the turnbuckle.

Aligning herself correctly, Lita unleashed the Moonsault she made famous and hit her target spot on. She considered going for the pin, but an even better idea popped into her head. Lita would normally use the Twist of Fate for an additional beating, but she substituted it for another move.

"Hey! HEY!", Eric exclaimed, pointing wildly at the monitor. "She's using my move!"

Lita had Torrie in the Camel Clutch, and it didn't take long for her to tap out. Lilian announced Lita's win, but the hold wasn't being released. It seemed as if the referee was the only one who wanted Lita to let go though; everyone else in the immediate area was thoroughly enjoying this. Everyone except …

"_**Break the walls down! …**__"_

Chris Jericho sprinted down to the ring, prompting Lita to finally release the hold. Eric looked on, frozen to the spot, as Jericho slid into the ring and sprinted at Lita. The extreme Diva saw this coming, however, and dodged the spear. Jericho went straight through the other side of the ropes headfirst and into the announce table at ringside, slightly startling Lilian. Y2J wasn't moving at all, which left Lita as the last one standing in the ring.

"Line in the Sand" started to play, grabbing Lita's attention away from Jericho's motionless body. Camilla stepped out onto the stage with the Women's title on her shoulder. Lita made a belt motion around her waist, prompting Camilla to lift the belt in the air.

Backstage, Eric and Matt looked at each other and shrugged.

"I'm not getting in the middle of that."

"Me neither."

* * *

When Amy and Camilla returned back to the locker room, it was as if nothing ever happened. The two walked in, arms around each other's shoulder like they had just returned from a party. 

"Did I miss something?", Matt asked.

"You shouldn't be worrying about them", Randy said, walking casually by and leaning against the locker next to him. "We're up next. Now, I'm okay with it if you want to forfeit … I mean, you _did_ get your head kicked in pretty hard earlier, and I'd understand if you thought that I might hurt you. I'm not going to pull any punches, bro."

"Don't try to smart talk me out of this match", snapped back Matt. "I'm not giving up my title shot just because my head hurts. Get the hell out there."

"You're the challenger! _You_ go out there first."

Matt gave his brother a cold glare before leaving the room, slowly walking towards the curtain. Randy looked to see his brother holding the side of his head as well as using the wall for support as Matt made his way towards the ring. Eric walked up beside Randy and snickered.

"You're not actually going to go full force, right? He got walloped pretty bad earlier."

"Then it'll be easier to win. Easier to keep this belt."

"Wow … you _really_ don't cut Matt any slack, do you?"

"Why should I? If he's the better man tonight, he'll pull off the win. There's no reason for me to go easy on him. Besides, I wouldn't let my younger brother beat me. I'd look bad."

Randy started off in the direction of the ring after hearing Evolution's theme music start to play. Eric watched his friend walk off to defend his belt.

"_God, I wish I had a brother."_

By this time, Matt had made it to the ring and started to bounce around on his feet to try to shake off the heavy feeling in his head. Looking at the fans, he could see the 'Matt' fans in the crowd; signs with 'MKO' spotted the landscape. However, the 'RKO' signs far outnumbered those with 'MKO' on them.

"_Great … just another hill to climb, as if the mountain weren't steep enough._"

The loud pop of the crowd and Lilian's excited voice drew Matt's attention to the stage. Randy came out from behind the curtain and drank in all the cheers from the fans; this was certainly a 'Randy' crowd. Trying to keep his confidence up, Matt stepped up and faced his brother down in the middle of the ring.

"All I have to do to you is punch you _once_ and you'll go down like a pile of bricks", Randy stated.

"Then try me. Smack me right here. Right where I got kicked in the head. Come on! Try me! **Do it!**"

Randy shrugged and let loose a strong right hand, knocking Matt down on all fours, favoring the side of his face. The older Orton started to laugh and motioned to the crowd for an early end to the match. Matt stumbled back to his feet and walked right into an RKO.

"_Too easy…"_, Randy thought as he put a single foot on Matt's chest and posed.

"1, 2, thr…"

Randy almost tripped as Matt shoved the foot off his chest. Rolling his eyes, Randy quickly flipped Matt on his stomach and locked in a sleeper hold. To add insult to injury, Randy added his whole body weight onto Matt's back to increase the pressure. Matt's arms were weakly flailing around.

"Randy!_Look out!_", Lilian cried out.

Orton looked backwards to see a newly revived Chris Jericho climbing onto the apron with a steel chair raised in the air. Randy quickly reacted and dropkicked Jericho off the apron, making Y2J's face bounce off the ring barrier. Orton posed one more time before turning around.

Matt had gotten up and was posed to steal his brother's move. Randy wised up to this and pushed Matt away. On the rebound, Randy stiffly kicked Matt in the stomach.

"You try to steal my move, huh? Eat this."

Randy then stole Matt's move, and MKOed his brother.

"1, 2, 3!"

"Here is your winner and _still_ Intercontinental Champion, Randy Orton!"

Randy was given his belt and posed on more time on the turnbuckle to celebrate his win. Looking out onto the crowd, he saw fans pointing back to the ring. Turning around, Orton saw Jericho wailing on the face of his brother with the chair he had.

"You_**bastard!**_"

As Randy dashed off to protect his brother, Jericho scattered to the winds. Matt had a severe gash on his head and was starting to bleed down his face and chest. Looking up to the stage, Randy saw Jericho standing alone with the chair in the air as RAW went to commercial.

* * *

During the break, Randy lugged his nearly unconscious younger brother to the trainer's room, where the blood was washed off Matt before being bandaged up. The large bandage around Matt's head looked like a large, beige bandana. 

"Well, he doesn't have a concussion", the trainer stated after examining the younger Orton. "I imagine he'll have one hell of a headache and he might have some trouble keeping his balance, but as long as Matt takes it easy this week, he'll be prepared for next Monday night."

Randy's biggest fear was now alleviated. With the number of times he heard the sound of flesh against steel, Randy was surprised that Matt came away with only a wrapped head. Before, when something like this happened, Randy would be angered so much, his whole body would tremble violently. Indeed, when he ran over to save Matt from Jericho, Randy did feel that way. But when he saw his brother slowly open his eyes, the feeling of violence and retribution vanished.

"_I was just scared that they would take him away from me"_, Randy thought to himself. _"Every time someone would attack Matt, that feeling of losing him would just overcome me. I guess … I guess I'm finally getting over it."_

"How is he?"

Randy looked up to see Eric Barringer walk into the room and sit down next to him.

"He'll live. Matt's a tough son of a bitch. What about you? You ready to become champ tonight?"

A smirk found its way onto Eric's face. "Hell yes. For all the crap he's put us through, John deserves to be embarrassed in front of the whole world. To be the youngest World champion in history …"

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't get ahead of yourself. Remember, you're gonna have Taker at your heels once you win."

"I can take Taker. I've done it before, and I can do it again."

The sound of the 'Are you ready?' from DX's music faintly resonated throughout the arena. Randy slapped Eric on the back as Barringer got up to leave.

"… Eric …"

Matt's weak voice called from the table he was resting on.

"… Do it for us."

"Nothing is going to stop me."

Eric slapped the tattoo on his back, making both brothers smile, before stepping out of the room.

"**BREAK IT DOWN!**"

"Introducing first", started Lilian, "from San Antonio, Texas, weighing in at 223 pounds, Eric Barringer!"

The youngest DX member proudly raised his arms in the air in the 'X' symbol. But, out of everyone in the arena, he was the only one unaware of who was creeping up behind him. John Cena slammed the chain wrapped around his wrist directly into the back of Eric's head, knocking Barringer down to the floor. Cena dragged Barringer by his hair down to the ring, tossing him in like a rag doll. As Eric was using the ropes to get to his feet, the bell rang. Like a hawk dive bombing a helpless mouse, Cena had Barringer up over his shoulders for the FU in a matter of seconds.

"1, 2, 3!"

Backstage, the whole gang looked on in awe as Eric lay motionless on the canvas. Camilla was holding a scared Amy in her arms, Shawn and Hunter looked like they were about to burst their lids, and Randy and Matt looked at each other in disbelief.

But then, glass shattered.

The General Manager of RAW stepped out onto the stage, and the rest of the family had one last strand of hope that the decision would be overturned or reversed.

"Looks like you'd do anything for a piece of gold, son! But considering nothing actually happened during the match, the decision stands. But ole' Stone Cold ain't finished with you yet. See here, in a little bit over a month, SummerSlam is our next pay-per-view … and since the little best-of-five series is all tied up at two a piece, why not have the last match at SummerSlam? So, for the RAW main event, it will be John Cena vs. Eric Barringer for the World Heavyweight Championship!"

No sooner after Stone Cold finished his sentence did Cena lock in the STFU on Eric. A blur whizzed by Austin and rushed down to ringside, grabbing a steel chair from the announcer's area. Lilian couldn't believe her eyes as Amy lifted the chair above her head and slammed it down on the back of John's head. Cena quickly let go and rolled off of Eric, falling down to the ground beside the ring. As RAW went off the air, Amy kneeled down beside her fallen one and took him in her arms.

* * *

_With six weeks away from SummerSlam, can Eric regain his momentum and become the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history? What do Amy's actions at the end of the night really symbolize? Also, with the issue of the Intercontinental title aside, Randy and Matt take the week off to rest. Then, at the beginning of the next Monday Night RAW, one Superstar makes a statement to John Cena._

_Hope you enjoyed this one! And I apologize for taking so long on this chapter._

_SuspiciousInitials_


	67. Memory

_The brothers take the week off and do something Matt never thought they would do in a million years. Also, Amy tries to tell Eric her feelings about him. _

_Here we go!_

* * *

The trip back to the hotel wasn't that pleasant for Eric and Matt. Barringer had trouble keeping his head up in the air, whereas Orton felt like he had a couple thousand pounds of pressure on his head. Amy stayed by Eric's side the whole car ride, literally holding onto Barringer like a precious stuffed animal. Camilla, on the other hand, had gotten used to seeing her husband like this; although she was genuinely worried for Matt, the frequency of which he had gotten injured deadened the outward demeanor Camilla would normally display. 

In contrast, Shawn and Hunter had their newly acquired World Tag Team Championship belts thrown over their shoulders. The gang had gone through the drive-thru at McDonald's, and each had a large chocolate milkshake in their hands.

"You know, I don't think I've ever felt this way before", stated Hunter as he took one long swig through his straw. "I mean, I'm ecstatic that we won the belts, but I'm irate that Barringer back there has to wait until August to get _his_ belt."

"Eh … I wouldn't worry about it", replied Shawn. "Eric'll have his bearings back before then. Although, I would give this milkshake up to get my hands around the throat of that damn rapper! By the way, what flavor did you end up getting?"

"… strawberry."

"Strawberry?! You like the pink stuff, huh?"

At the helm of the vehicle, Randy looked back to the bickering pair and rolled his eyes.

"_God, by the way they act, you would think that they're my age."_

"_More like my age, if you ask me."_

Randy looked back again, this time at his brother, who communicated for the first time that night.

"_How's your head?"_

"_That's a stupid question. How do you __**think**__ my head is?"_

"_Jeez … chill. I was just asking."_

"_I know; I'm just pissed off. I know I would have had a better chance at you if I hadn't got the lights kicked out of me."_

"_You're__**still**__ bitter about losing?"_

"_Of course I am! I was supposed to win that one!"_

"_**Supposed**__ to? How do you figure?"_

"_We trade wins every match. I win one, you win one … its like a cycle. If it weren't for the match earlier in the night, I would have won."_

"_Well … I'll admit that you would have posed a bigger threat if you were 100, but you still wouldn't have won. But enough about that. You'll get another shot soon enough. We're taking this week off, and I want to take you camping."_

"Camping?", Matt said out loud, a hint of surprise in the younger Orton's voice. Matt mustered up the strength to sit up straight in his seat. "Why would you want to take me camping? I mean … that would just bring back …"

"When I saw you open your eyes after Jericho smashed your head in with that chair …"

"Ugh …", Matt recoiled, holding his head, "… don't remind me."

"Anyway … I realized that this is just going to be part of the job. I didn't feel as angry as I had in the past. Then when you were in the trainer's room getting worked on, I realized that you're always going to be there. No one is going to take you away from me anymore. What I'm getting at is that I think I'm getting over what had happened seventeen years ago."

"Were we in the middle of a conversation I don't remember leaving?", Camilla blurted out.

The brothers started to chuckle as the van pulled into the hotel parking lot. Amy and Camilla helped their respective men into their rooms while Randy, Shawn, and Hunter took everyone's bags upstairs to the rooms. When everything was unpacked and put away, Amy went to her room and sat down on the bed Eric was resting on.

"You really look bad."

"Tell me something I don't know", Eric snickered.

"Well … if you insist. Listen, I … I just … I can't …"

"Cat got your tongue?"

Amy smiled and gave Eric a gentle shove on the shoulder.

"I'm beginning to think that I'm falling for you."

Eric started to laugh before what Amy had just said sunk in.

"Wait … _what?!_"

"Really! I do! Maybe it's just Camilla and Lilian rubbing off on me, but I really think that I'm falling for you. And not in just a 'puppy love' way … but in a real, romantic way."

Eric wasn't sure if Amy was really saying this or if the injury to his head was causing him to hallucinate.

"Amy … we … I mean, we haven't been together that long at all! And you're thinking that we should **be** together?"

"Before this, Lilian and I got to talking. She believes in fate, Eric. That's what led her to accept Randy's proposal for marriage. When she got the feeling that I'm getting right now, Lilian knew that Randy was the one."

"So … you think _I'm_ the one?"

"Of course I do! At first, I thought I would want to wait this out, but the more I talked to Lilian and Camilla, the more I realized that this was meant to be. Think of how Camilla and Matthew met each other again; Matt first had to run into his long lost brother just to_get_ to St. Louis. What are the odds of that happening!? Then to just randomly run into Camilla at a supermarket of all places? As for Lilian and Randy, if they hadn't locked eyes that one time, they probably wouldn't be together right now!"

"But … but all of that could have been …"

"What? A _coincidence?!_ Eric, this isn't a coincidence. I love you. I never thought I would say that this early in our relationship, but it's true!"

Eric didn't have to say anything to respond. Sitting up slowly, Barringer brought Amy into his arms, clutching her tightly against his chest.

"I … I love you too, Amy."

* * *

Shawn, Hunter, Amy, and Eric all flew back to San Antonio the next morning, leaving an hour earlier than the rest of the group. Randy and Matt noticed a change in the demeanor of the future World Heavyweight Champion as they said goodbye and boarded their plane to Texas. 

"You think they might turn out together?", Matt asked.

"I'd give them good odds. Didn't you see how fast Amy bolted out of the locker room to go save Eric? She put herself in a lot of danger by going out there and smacking Cena on the back of the head. John might go after her next."

"If John puts one hand on her …", Matt began. Randy put a hand on Matt's chest to stop him from speaking.

"I think it's high time we stop messing with Cena. Eric can handle this now. We've had our chances, and now its Barringer's turn to teach the rapper a thing or two. Besides, we can focus on Chris Jericho now."

"We're not done with him yet?", Matt said, whining a little bit.

"He's bound to come back and try us again. But, I'm going to try to goad Austin into giving you a rematch."

"_What?!_", exclaimed Matt, nearly jumping back into Camilla. "Why? I mean, you already beat me!"

"Meh … you would have put up a better fight had you not been smacked in the head. You deserve it."

As the foursome started to board their own plane and take their seats, Camilla pulled Lilian aside.

"Think we did the right thing?", Camilla asked. "We might be pushing this a little _too_ early. I don't want them to have broken hearts."

"They'll be fine, believe me. I have a knack for this sort of thing. You think I would have accepted Randy's proposal if I didn't know that it was going to pan out after going out with him for a very short time?"

"Are you psychic or something then? Jeez."

"Could be. When it comes to something like love anyway."

"Great. You're the psychic matchmaker, and the two goof-offs in front of us are linked telepathically."

Lilian started to laugh heartily, but then looked at the serious visage on Camilla's face.

"Wait … you're _serious?!_"

"Let me tell ya about it. When I found out, I was _**so**_ embarrassed. Let's just say that Matt doesn't look at honey the same way anymore …"

* * *

"Did you bring the matches?" 

"Why would I bring matches? Just rub some sticks together!", Randy answered his brother while putting the tent together. Lilian and Camilla weren't too happy about the idea of the brothers going out into the wilderness without them, but decided to go with it after Matt suggested that they go on a shopping weekend.

"Randy, you idiot, you're supposed to bring matches on a camping trip!"

"Oh, come on! Learn some damn outdoors skills!"

"I'd like to see _you_ try! Get your ass over here and do it yourself!"

"If I have to start that fire, I'm tossing your ass in the lake! Just suck it up, stop crying like a little baby, and get some fire going! Besides, the quicker you get the fire started, the quicker we can start making some s'mores!"

Only one thing was running through Matt's mind right now: There were marshmallows somewhere on the campsite. Randy sensed this and rushed over to block his brother from ravaging through the supplies.

"Stop struggling!", Randy screamed after Matt had elbowed him in the stomach a couple of times. "Just get the damn fire started and you can eat all the freakin' marshmallows you want!"

Matt's eyes darted around like those of a rabid dog. "You drive a goddamn hard bargain, Randy. Give me some damn sticks."

Randy chuckled before tossing Matt two random sticks laying nearby. The younger Orton quickly went to work on the fire; the sound of wood rubbing up against each other filled the area. As Matt began to create smoke, Randy took a look around at the campgrounds. Careful to conceal his thoughts, the older brother started to reminiscence.

"_God, it's been seventeen years since I've come here … since __**we've**__ come here. Every night after it happened I prayed for him to come back, and to finally experience what we were supposed to have experienced all that time ago … __**you've**__ made all that possible."_

Matt looked over to see his brother looking straight up in the sky.

"Hey! You bird watching or what? Get over here and look at this."

Sure enough, Matt's efforts had paid off; the sound of crackling and the brightness of a small fire illuminated the darkening area. Randy smirked and started to dig in the bag next to him, tossing a package of graham crackers and three or four large bars of chocolate near the fire.

"Well?!", shouted Matt. "Where are the damn marshmallows?!"

"Hold your horses! We'll get to that in a second. Sit down. I want to talk to you."

Matt rolled his eyes and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. With the daylight wasting away, Matt took a seat next to his brother, who was opening up the graham crackers.

"You still haven't told me a lot about your life before you met me", Randy commented. "Talk to me. Spit out some more history."

"Is that what this was trip was about?"

"Partially. The other part was to do what we were supposed to have done seventeen years ago. To get back on track, so to speak. It'll fill this gap I've had even though we've been back together for a year and a half."

Matt knew there were two sides to his brother: one was the brash, cocky, arrogant, do-what-he-could-to-win competitor. The other was the product of what had happened to Matt seventeen years ago, the complete opposite of Randy's in-ring persona. Right now, Randy was definitely the latter.

"Tell me about stuff you did with your dad."

"You … you know this is hard for me to talk about."

"I know … but think how hard it is for me being here right now."

Matt looked down at the bare ground, then at the setting sun for a few seconds.

"My dad and I went camping a lot. Especially when I was a little kid. We didn't have a lake nearby, but we had this really kick ass tent with all the little features. It had a coffee maker, a little stove he cooked our breakfasts on, and one of those portable TVs that never got any reception. They were still cool, though."

Randy smiled at the quick change of emotion from his brother.

"You went camping all those times and you never learned how to make a fire?"

"You idiot. We always brought propane and matches with us so we could cook. Tell me you brought those things!"

"Why would we need them? You've already done the hard work."

Matt's eyes narrowed as he realized that Randy tricked him into starting the fire, using the marshmallows as bait.

"You little …"

"And you say you're the smart one", Randy said as he chomped down on a graham cracker. "Go on. I want to hear more."

"We … we used to fish too. All the goddamn time. Every weekend as far as I can remember. Dad taught me everything there is to know about fishing. I even surprised him when I jumped into the water and caught a huge catfish with my bare hands."

Randy's eyebrow took a trip skyward. "… you're kidding me."

"Nope. My dad's eyes nearly burst out of their sockets in surprise. As a matter of fact, tomorrow morning I'll jump in that very lake and catch me a fish for us to eat for lunch. We had the thing stuffed and put on the wall above the firepla…"

Saying the word 'fire' touched off the memory of reading the article about the death of his parents. The positive, light-hearted emotion vanished and was replaced by shattered sorrow. Randy saw this and put his arm around his brother to comfort him.

"I miss them, Randy", Matt creaked out through a broken voice and tears.

The older brother looked over towards one of the backpacks and drug it towards himself. Taking out the package of marshmallows and a pair of metal skewers, Randy fixed two marshmallows to be hung over the fire and handed one to his brother. Matt looked up, face shining from the tears streaming down his face, and graciously accepted one to put over the orange glow in front of him. Randy again patted him on the back as the two men sat in front of the fire.

"Don't cry. They'll always be with you. Just like I will be."

* * *

The sun was barely rising and filtering through the zipper in the tent as Randy started to stir. He freed his arms from his sleeping bag, stretched them, and let them fall, expecting his left arm to smack Matt in the chest. 

But nothing was there.

Randy's heart shot up to his throat as he sat up and looked left, only to see his brother's sleeping bag empty.

"_No … not again. Please, for the love of God, __**not again!**__"_

Orton sprung to his feet and dove out of the tent, looking all over the campground for any sign of his brother. The camp looked in order with nothing out of place, the exact opposite of what it was that day seventeen years ago.

The sound of someone whistling caught Randy's attention, making him spin around towards the lake. A wet, black shirt was thrown in his face. Throwing it down to the ground, his heart calmed to a steady pace once he saw his brother wading in the lake.

"It's about time you woke up! Now watch me catch this fish!"

Matt then proceeded to toss himself down onto something. Randy watched as his brother thrashed around in the water, seemingly wrestling with something huge.

"You have_ got_ to be kidding me", Randy said out loud. Sure enough, from what he could see as his brother Matt had what looked like to be a giant fish in his grasp. The younger Orton managed to stand up straight as the creature flailed tremendously. Only when Matt was on dry ground did he let go of the monstrous fish.

Taking a seat on a nearby log, Orton shook the water out of his ears and looked up at his brother.

"That's one hell of a lunch, isn't it?"

"Dude, we'll have plenty left over to take back home."

"_That_ is exactly what we're doing. I'm putting this in the ice chest."

"Then what the hell are we eating?"

"Do you doubt my abilities? I'll catch another one!"

Randy put his hand on the top of his brother's head as he tried to get up.

"No. You're going to watch me catch an even bigger one."

With a skeptical look and a muffled chuckle, Matt watched as his brother took off into the lake. Before jumping in, Randy turned around and threw his shirt right at his brother's face. However, Matt had a good laugh as he watched Randy splash around in the water for the next fifteen minutes, coming up empty handed every single time.

"Where the hell did you learn this from?", Randy screamed out in between attempts. "From watching the Crocodile Hunter or something?"

"It came naturally to me", Matt said, echoing his brother's earlier advice about Camilla. Randy looked back and gave Matt an evil eye before diving in yet again. After seeing his brother fail numerous additional times, Matt went back to the weakened fire and started to revive it. Orton had enough time to rebuild the fire and start his breakfast of more s'mores before hearing footsteps come up behind him. To his surprise, Randy came and dropped a good size fish right at Matt's feet.

"You … you're cutting that damn thing open", Randy said, chest heaving as he sat down on the ice chest, obviously exhausted after his battle with the fish. "What … what the hell possessed you to jump for one of those things in the first place?"

"I wanted to impress my dad. Now I've impressed you. Let's say we eat some lunch, eh?"

Randy looked at his brother and chuckled as he reached to throw his shirt in the empty tent. However, as Randy put his focus on the tent, he noticed something small and blue folded up at the entrance. Matt started to filet the fish as Randy got up and inspected the small blue cloth. An audible gasp caused Matt to put the filet knife down and join his brother at the entrance to the tent. His eyes widened at the sight of the neatly folded piece of cloth in Randy's hands; both of them recognized it instantly.

It was the shirt that Matt was wearing in the picture that Randy first showed him that first day in San Antonio.

* * *

The sound of 'Basic Thuganomics' filled the arena in New York City for the startup of the next Monday Night RAW. Of course, the fans didn't take too likely to him, but the occasional 'Chain Gang' jersey could be seen in the crowd. Lilian refused to step anywhere near the rapper, and tossed the microphone to him instead of just handing it to Cena. 

"It looks like the better man won last week."

On cue, a massive wave of boos engulfed Cena, but to no reaction.

"And the better man will win next month at SummerSlam. And the better man will hold the World Heavyweight Championship! And the better man will …"

**GONG!**

And the arena descended into complete and total darkness. Smoke started to cover the floor of the arena as the Phenom himself walked out onto the stage, his silhouette against the brightness of the white on the TitanTron dwarfing everyone else in the crowd. But just as Cena decided to turn around and book it through the fans …

**GONG!**

Darkness once again engulfed the whole building. A few moments passed by, with everyone's heartbeat at a standstill. The lights turned back on, and the Undertaker wasn't on the stage anymore. Cena decided to turn around and hightail it out of there, only to run into the very thing he was running from. The Deadman quickly wrapped a hand around Cena's neck for a quick and powerful chokeslam.

Backstage, Eric could only smile.

"Payback's a bitch; ain't it, John?"

* * *

_How will the development in the relationship between Amy and Eric affect their future? The camping trip has certainly brought about some changes to the brothers. Will their performance in a surprise match put together by the General Manager be marred in anyway? Also, Eric and John pick each other's poison as each decides the opponent for the other. We already know who Cena will face. Who will Barringer compete against?_

_Oh, I also have a comment in regards to the Royal Rumble that just finished earlier tonight._

_**He's back already?!?!! **__Oh boy. Randy's in trouble._

_SuspiciousInitials_


	68. Resistance

_Let me tell you. Watching the Undertaker's entrance live and in person is the most surreal experience I have ever been through. Wow. And Batista's pyro was AWESOME! And in the segment where CM Punk and Chavo Guerrero fought out in the crowd, I was right there just a couple of feet away from them! Holy freaking crap! You can even look for me on the tape! Purple shirt and blue jeans, short spiky hair. If I ever get a screen cap of it, I'll post it! _

_Ok ... now that the kid in me has died down a little, I'd like to take the time to thank every single person who reads, reviews, and enjoys what I do. Through thick and thin, I will see this story to the end. And a sequel ... or two._

_Anyway, Monday night gets in full swing, but not before the brothers contemplate their discovery from the previous weekend. Plus, the gang backstage receives a surprise from a threat from the past._

_Here we go!_

* * *

Randy sat in the locker room, completely dressed out for the nights events. Although he anticipated Stone Cold to fulfill his wishes for a rematch for Matt, his mind was in another place. In his hands was the same blue shirt that Matt wore in the picture ... the same blue shirt that he last remembered seeing his brother wearing before he was kidnapped. 

"_How in the world did this get there? There's ... there's absolutely no way I should be holding this! If this was sitting outside the tent, then that could mean ..."_

Randy's mind was shooting in every direction, trying to settle on an explanation for the item in his hands. At that moment, Matt stepped out of the bathroom, fully clad in wrestling gear matching that of his brother. Once Orton sat down next to his brother, it was as if the two could be mistaken for identical twins.

"That wasn't there before we went to sleep, and I could have easily missed it when I got up; I wasn't exactly looking for something like that. I mean, it was at the base of tent opening. How could I have seen it without looking straight down?"

"That doesn't matter to me now. What **does** matter is **how** this shirt got there. We couldn't have just picked the same exact spot where the person who took you dropped it. It surely would have moved sometime in seventeen years. And ... it was _folded_. Folded like it had just come out of the laundry. Doesn't that just freak you the hell out?"

Matt blankly nodded his head. From the period when the brothers returned to the house after the camping trip up until now, both brothers were relatively quiet, which spooked both Camilla and Lilian rather badly.

"If the shirt was there after we went to sleep, and it was folded like this ...", Matt began, "... then that means ..."

"... that the bastard is still alive."

Suddenly, a rather loud and forceful round of knocking echoed through the locker room door, and Stone Cold Steve Austin walked in to address the group.

"Any one of y'all get the card for tonight yet?", Austin barked out. "Thought you guys might like it."

"You gave me the rematch I deserve?", Matt asked rather brashly.

"Not tonight, son. But I think you'll like what I've got in store for you two kids."

Amy ran out from the back part of the room waving around a piece of paper, apparently excited about what Stone Cold had in store for the evening.

"Camilla and I get to tag together tonight!", she proclaimed happily. "Eric gets to face Jericho, and the brothers get to face Team Angle."

Both sets of eyebrows on Randy and Matt collectively shot up in curiosity at the mention of their opponents for the evening.

"Well, they ain't wantin' to be called Team Angle anymore", chimed in the General Manager. "They wanna be named the 'World's Greatest Tag Team' or something."

The brothers slowly turned to face each other, big smiles from ear to ear covering their faces. "I think we can manage to change that _very_ quickly", Randy quipped, giving his brother a high five. It was then when Eric walked into the room, all smiles after seeing Cena get chokeslammed by the Undertaker.

"Who do I get to take apart tonight?", Eric asked, cracking his knuckles. Amy quickly snuggled up against her man and showed him the card.

"Jericho, huh? Looks like I get to fuel some of the hate from you two towards Y2J tonight", Eric said, pointing to the two brothers.

"We'd appreciate it, bro", Randy responded. "It'd be nice to get that thorn out from our side. Besides, we've got other plans concerning two of our belts your comrades have over there."

Shawn and Hunter heard this comment, slung the World Tag Team Championships over their shoulders, and walked over behind Eric and Amy.

"We have _nothing_ to prove. You two know that", stated Hunter firmly. "You, on the other hand, have _everything_ to prove. We've been teaming together since you two were still kids. You've teamed up, what ... two or three times?"

Unfortunately, neither brother could come up with a comeback. It was true; HBK and HHH had a significant amount of experience as a tag team.

"Well, it's time for them to step up and see if they've got the talent", Austin chipped in. "They're first up for the night. Be at the curtain in about 5 minutes, boys."

Stone Cold left the room, leaving the brothers and HHH/HBK staring each other down. After a minute or two of silence, Camilla pushed the brothers back.

"Go to the ring. Getting all worked up right now isn't going to be worth it. Just make a name for yourselves out there and you'll eventually get your shot. If anything, that's something you two could learn. You can't just expect a title shot to be given to you. You have to work for it, just like I did for mine. Now get out there."

With the little pep talk from Camilla under their belts, Randy and Matt slowly turned to leave the room themselves.

"We can't afford to lose this", Matt said quietly, hearing the new theme song of Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas blare through the walls. "We choke here and we won't get another chance to pursue those tag titles for a long time."

"I wouldn't go that far", Randy said. "You're Austin's favorite, can't you tell? He'd give us another chance."

"Let's not rely on that though."

Randy nodded as they reached the sound guy just behind the curtain. The older Orton pulled something out from behind the Intercontinental belt and gave it to him.

"Play this instead."

"Whoa ...", Matt said, confused, "... what are you doing? We're not Evolution anymore?"

"We'll always be Evolution. But I think it's time to move on. Assume a new identity."

"But I liked 'Line in the Sand' ... well, what is it? What masterpiece have you chosen to lead us into battle tonight?"

Randy gave his brother a look, recognizing the whiny tone Matt sometimes got whenever things didn't go his way.

"Let's just say that you've heard it before. It fits our attitude well."

"This_better_ be good."

Randy gave a nod to the sound guy, with Matt all ears.

"..._**HEY!**_"

Matt's ears perked up to the sky, recognizing the tune. Turning to his brother with a look of incredulity on his face, Matt yelled out...

"This is that song that I caught you singing in the shower!"

"If you tell _anyone_ about that, I will not hesitate to rip your head off!"

"You know I'm not going to let you live this down, right?"

"Hey, you have your little nerdy moments playing your goddamn video games, let me have mine right now! How would you like it if I told everyone that you play as a little kid swinging a giant key around with Donald Duck and Goofy by his side!"

"Oh, come on! Kingdom Hearts is a good game with a great story if you look past all the goddamn Disney characters!"

"Guys?!"

Both brothers turned to the sound guy, who looked red in the face.

"You're on! Get out there!"

Looking like two deer caught in the headlights, Randy and Matt dashed out through the curtain and through their own pyro, which had activated before they had made it out on stage. However, this didn't stop them from Orton posing and catching the whistles and excited shouts from some of the women in the crowd. Their new theme song, 'Burn in My Light' by Mercy Drive, played as the two brothers walked down to ringside under the watchful gaze of Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas.

"I gotta admit", Matt started, "your song _is_ pretty catchy."

"When we get home, take a minute and sit down to listen to the lyrics. You'll realize that this fits us perfectly."

"Then they should change the name of the song from 'Burn in My Light' to 'Burn in _Our_Light'."

Randy cracked a smile as the pair hopped into the ring to face down their opponents. As the two discussed strategy, Eric, Amy, and Camilla were trying to find the source of an annoying sound somewhere in the locker room.

"Who the hell has Stone Cold's music as their ringtone?", asked Amy. "I mean ... doesn't that get annoying after a while?"

"It's Matt's", replied Eric. "Don't ask me why he's kept it all these years."

"Found it!", Camilla yelled, yanking the cell phone out from Matt's bag, which was partially hidden in a half-closed locker. The phone stopped ringing, and Camilla naturally opened it to check who had been calling. However, upon seeing the name on the screen, Camilla quickly shoved the phone back into the bag.

"Well?", asked an impatient Amy after Camilla sat back down on a bench. "Who was it?"

"... Batista."

* * *

In the ring, Matt currently was in a bind ... literally. Shelton Benjamin had this strange submission hold locked in on him that Matt had never seen before; whatever it was, Matt's knee felt like it was going to snap in the next couple of seconds. Thinking quickly, Orton powered himself off of the ground with both arms and, while screaming bloody murder, crawled over to his corner, where he tagged in Randy. After seeing Shelton not let go of the hold, Randy ran over to the opposite corner and ran full speed at his opponent, kicking him hard in the chest. Along with Benjamin himself, the whole crowd groaned loudly at the sound of the impact. More importantly, Matt wrenched himself free and rolled out of the ring, landing directly on his back, but the with the shooting pain in his knee subsiding. Randy started to stalk Benjamin, ready to deliver an RKO. He watched his brother make it back onto the apron, only to see Matt get restrained from re-entering the ring. 

"_Why the hell..."_

And then it hit him.

Haas had crept into the ring and delivered a low blow to the older Orton, causing him to double over in pain. Matt dropped to the floor off the apron and hobbled as fast as he could to the other side of the ring to give chase. However, Shelton had taken advantage of the situation, rolling Randy up.

"1, 2, 3!"

Matt had tried to jump back in the ring to stop the count, but it was too late. Haas joined his partner, who rolled out of the ring before anything else happened. Randy was still holding himself in pain as Matt kneeled by his side.

"We've got to go after them!", cried out Matt in anger. "They can't get away with cheating like that! No freakin' way!"

"Calm down", Randy said in between winces. "We'll get another shot. Don't worry about them and save your anger until the next match. Believe me, I _know_ how effective you can be when you're angry."

The brothers received a standing ovation as they went back up the ramp. Matt could hear his friends, Michael, Adrian, and Travis, yelling obscenities about the so-called World's Greatest Tag Team. Randy and Matt made one final 'belt around the waist' motion to the crowd before Orton posing and slipping behind the curtain.

"You're not gonna let that nut shot slow you down for what you have planned for Lilian tonight, right?", Matt said to his brother as they made their way back to the locker room.

"God, I have to remember to conceal my thoughts from you more often. You're gonna steal all my moves."

"_Your_ moves? I've been doing that ever since the wedding night._ You're_ the one that needs to catch up."

Randy almost slugged Matt in the face right then and there.

"You're mine when I get you back home."

"Yeah, yeah. We'll see about that. Go get changed so we can get pizza for everyone."

When the pair walked back into the locker room, everyone was huddled in one of the corners. Looking at each other, the confused brothers walked over and tried to see what was the matter.

"Did you get the pizza already?", asked Randy. "Why didn't you guys wait for us?"

As Amy, Eric, Camilla, Shawn, and Hunter realized that the brothers returned, they moved out of the way to let Camilla handle the situation.

"You're going to want to listen to this. I don't know if he's lying or not."

"Lying?", asked Matt, seeing that everyone was listening to something on his cell phone. "Who?"

"Replay the message."

Randy and Matt still were clueless about what the hell was going on. Matt put the phone on speaker and redialed his voicemail box.

"_Orton ... I know that you'll probably not even listen to this, but please hear me out."_

"Batista?!", yelled out Randy.

"_What ... what I did was wrong. You know I have temper problems. It's not unlike your own. I don't know what came over me; I just ... snapped. I rejected you guys and I shouldn't have. I deserved every bit of what Randy did to me. I probably deserved more. But listen, I've seen what Cena has done to you guys in the last couple of weeks, and nothing would please me more than to see him driven into the ground. My jaw isn't one hundred percent, but I'm coming back next week. I want to atone for what I did. Let me take care of Cena for you two. And if not for you two, for Barringer. The little dude deserves respect for putting up with all of Cena's crap. He'd make a great World Heavyweight Champion. You don't have to forgive me for what I did. But know this ... and it takes a lot to get an apology from me ... I'm truly sorry for my actions."_

And that was the end of the message. The brothers looked up to see that the room was now devoid of females; Amy and Camilla had left at the beginning of the message for their match against Torrie Wilson and Victoria.

"I figured he's spitting out a bunch of bullcrap", Hunter uttered. "Dave's still pissed off at how you two have advanced in the business and he wants to get under your skin before turning on you again."

"I disagree", Shawn retorted. "Dave's a proud man. He doesn't give out apologies that often. I think he's being truthful."

Hunter shook his head and walked out of the locker room. The brothers looked over at Eric, wondering what he had to say. Barringer shrugged before saying something.

"If he's telling the truth ... I mean ... look at what he said about me. He said I'd make a great World champion."

"He's right", Randy replied. "But I don't know about the rest of his little speech."

"I'm siding with Shawn on this", Matt commented. "The tone of his voice sounded sincere. There wasn't a hint of deception or anything, at least in my opinion. Besides, to have the Animal back on our side would be one hell of an advantage."

Randy figured Matt would say this. He knew that his brother would jump all over the opportunity to get back one of his friends.

"I say we take him back. I know Dave and I agree with Shawn. He's being truthful."

"You know, I'm finding it hard to believe that you want to allow someone who tried to kill you back into your life."

"I don't think he wanted to kill me. He was just mad, that's all. Like he said, he just flipped out. Dave probably realizes that he just needs to control his emotions. Look at it this way ... we took Hunter back and he hasn't done anything. Why not Dave?"

"I think he'll be fine", came a female voice. The four men in the room turned to see Amy and Camilla walk back in, hardly sweating.

"You're back already, babe?", Eric asked, taking Amy into his arms. Randy nudged Matt in the side, leaned over to him, and whispered ...

"Noticed how he called her 'babe'? They're really hitting it off."

"So what did you think of the message Dave left?", Camilla asked after she grabbed a bottle of water from a nearby ice chest. "At first, I thought he was full of crap, but after listening to it a couple of times, I think he's telling the truth."

Matt smiled and punched Randy in the shoulder. "See? You should trust me more often. Now, come on, let's go get the pizza. I'll call Batista back and tell him what I think."

"You better put him on speaker phone. He's going to get a piece of my mind."

The two brothers ran into some fans on the way out to the car. After signing some autographs and posing for some pictures, Randy and Matt climbed into their vehicle and pulled out of the arena parking lot. Matt pulled his shirt back on as they pulled onto the main road towards the pizza place.

"You know, besides Camilla, I don't think I've ever had a girl ask me to take my shirt off", Matt said with a smirk on his face.

"Its the tattoos, Matt, I'm tellin' ya. Just look at how Amy swoons over Eric. Its part of our Orton tradition."

The younger brother smirked as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Batista's number. Randy looked on, the cockiness drained from his face.

"_Hello?"_

"Dave, this is Matt."

"_Look, Orton, I ..._"

"You don't have to say anything, Batista, I just wanted to say ..."

"Bullshit!", Randy screamed. "Batista, if you screw this up, if you lay _one_ finger on my brother, my sister-in-law, or my fiancée, so help me God, I will lay into you with _everything_ I have and snap your neck like **it was a goddamn twig!**"

There was silence on the other end of the line. Matt had expected that Randy would say something, but didn't anticipate a full blown outburst like that.

"_Randy ... you have every right to be mad at me."_

"**You're goddamn right I do!**"

"Randy, calm down! Don't forget that you're driving!"

The protective brother focused back on the road as Matt took control of the situation.

"Batista, I don't doubt that you were sincere. I know that you said that we didn't have to forgive you, but I'm ready to do just that. And I'm sure, in time, Randy will be ready to do the same."

Randy nearly backhanded Matt, but instead kept his emotions in check.

"_Matt, this'll be just like old times. I promise you."_

"Now that you've made a promise to me, Dave, I expect you to keep it. I have a knack for making people keep their promises", Matt said, glaring at his brother. After Matt hang up, Randy pulled into the parking lot of the pizza place.

"You go in and order."

"Why should I?"

Randy punched Matt hard in the shoulder. "That's why. Now get your ass up and do it."

Randy only made his brother get the pizza so he wouldn't flip his lid in front of a group of people. The prospect of having Batista back in the family simply infuriated him. To Randy, it was like forgiving the person who took Matthew from him that day. After a series of deep breaths, Randy opened his eyes to see his brother standing outside the door.

"You gonna help me put these in the car or not, you idiot?!"

Orton unlocked the door and assisted in putting the pizzas in the backseat.

"Listen ...", Matt began after getting back in the car, "... I know you're not happy about this. But just give him a chance. And even if he _does_ backstab us, you're gonna be there to protect me, right? I know you won't let him do what he did that day."

"You're damn right I won't. God, I think you're gonna be the death of us both one day with all the danger you put us in."

"Shut the hell up and get us back to the arena."

Randy slowly put the car and drive and took the pair back to the coliseum. Upon returning to the locker room, Shawn and Hunter had Eric on their shoulders.

"Whoa!", Randy shouted out. "Did we miss something?"

"Hell yeah!", proudly proclaimed Eric. "You missed me totally own Jericho! He had me in the Walls of Jericho, but I reversed it into my Camel Clutch!"

Randy and Matt both looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Is that even physically possible?", Matt asked.

"I can show you if you want!", shouted Eric.

"No! No, that's ... that's perfectly fine. I think I've been in enough submission holds for the day", Orton responded, holding his knee. "Just come get this pizza so we can eat."

"Forget that!", Camilla spouted out. "We're heading back to the hotel right now! Take the pizza back to the car!"

"So we did all that extra walking for nothing?", Randy whined.

The brothers begrudgingly took the pizza back to the car as the rest of the gang packed their things up to take back to their hotel rooms.

"We're not going to watch Cena get his ass kicked by Taker?", asked Eric.

"Nah", responded Amy. "I think you deserve something for your win tonight", she said, running her hand down Eric's chest.

"Like what?"

Amy shot Eric a look.

"Oh.**Oh!** Yeah! Holy crap, sure!"

The brothers looked behind them and both laughed.

"I can't believe that I was once that clueless."

"You still are", responded Randy.

* * *

_Will Stone Cold give Randy and Matt their rematch against the World's Greatest Tag Team, as Randy predicted? How long will we have to wait to see the much anticipated WWE Women's Championship match between Amy and Camilla? What was the result of the Cena/Taker match and what will be the fallout? And what impact will the return of the Animal, Batista, have on the family?_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	69. Unleashed

_First, we'll start off with the family in the middle of the week as they cool down in preparation for what could be an unpredictable Monday night. Camilla tries to get Matt to a different level in their relationship. Then, with less than a month before SummerSlam, Batista comes back to shake up the roster._

_Here we go!_

* * *

The sun started to peek over the horizon early Wednesday morning in St. Louis at the Orton household. Camilla had drug Matt out of the workout room and out to the pool area for a sunbathing session while Lilian had to literally roll Randy out of bed in order to start planning for their wedding. The previous day, Lilian had discussed with Camilla her planned color scheme: dark green, dark red, and white. 

"Christmas colors?", asked a frustrated Matt, who hated to miss his morning workout for any reason whatsoever. "Isn't that just a _little_ tacky?"

"What do you expect for a wedding on Christmas Day? It's not like Randy's going to hate it! Just think of how much your brother loves Christmas. He'll be like a little kid again, except he's getting the love of his life for a gift from Santa Claus."

"Is this what you wanted me to come out here for?", Orton asked in a whiny voice. "I could be working on my bench press right now."

Camilla turned and punched her husband in the shoulder. "That's all you muscleheads think about! Working out! Getting in the ring! All_ three_ of you are guilty: you, Randy _and_ Eric! It might as well be a gym locker room when all of you are over here! How do you think that makes us girls feel?"

"Whoa ... was it something I said?"

"No! It's something you _did_! I want you to spend more time with me! All you do is goof off with those two bumbling idiots! Forget about Eric and Randy for two seconds and spend those two seconds with me! Now take that muscle shirt off and let me lotion you up!"

Matt didn't have any problem obliging Camilla's order for two reasons: he didn't mind Camilla rubbing something all over him, and Matt didn't want a random submission hold put on him in the middle of the backyard. He took a seat on a nearby plastic lounge chair and let Camilla do what she wanted. Albeit nothing was being said, Camilla was hoping Matt could hear her message loud and clear.

"Well ...", Matt began, "... do you want to go out somewhere? I mean ... I could take you to dinner or we could go see a movie."

"Ugh ... I thought you would have this down by this time in our relationship, but I guess not. We don't have to actually do something to spend time together! Just ... you know, sit with me on the couch and watch TV or ... or ... just something like that! You're acting like we just met!"

"Listen ... I'm sorry. I really am. It's just ... ever since you started actually wrestling, I've ... god, this is going to sound awkward ... I've considered you as just one of the guys. Hell, you made me, Randy, and Eric tap out!"

"Matt, I know that's part of our connection, but you've got to realize that there's more to me than just kicking your ass."

Orton rolled his eyes as Camilla said that last part.

"I'm still a woman! I still need to be cared for, and I don't just mean being protected! It would mean the world to me if you took just an hour out of your 'busy schedule' and just cuddled with me in bed or walked with me down to the park or ... or swimming here in the pool. Just the two of us. Look at Randy and Lilian! Even though your _idiot_ of a brother spends a lot of time with you, Randy takes time to spend with Lilian. You don't see Lilian bursting out like this at Randy much, do you?"

Matt never liked being on this end of the conversation. Already sodden with guilt, Matt's eyes sunk to the ground in dejection.

"There's a time and place for everything, Matthew. A time for play, and a time for caring. And, if you don't mind, it's time for you to turn around so I can sunscreen your chest."

A small chuckle escaped Matt's mouth as he twisted around to feel his wife's hands move up and down his front.

"I could have done this myself, you know." But Matt started sniffing around, detecting an all-but familiar scent. Orton picked up the bottle of sunscreen and looked at the red label. "Honey scented sunscreen? Who the hell makes this?"

"Special ordered. You won't believe what some people will do for their favorite WWE superstars. And if you play your cards right today, stud, you'll be rewarded tonight", Camilla said with that suggestive smirk on her face. That cocky Orton grin spread across Matt's face from ear to ear, and an idea popped into his head.

"Tell you what. I'll be right back."

Matt quickly got up just as Camilla was untying the back of her bikini.

"Wait! Where the hell are you going?"

"You'll see!", Matt yelled. "Just stay out here!" But Matt wasn't looking at where he was going. Just shy of stepping back onto the patio, Orton ran forcefully straight into his brother, who, along with Lilian, was coming outside to lounge in the pool.

"Shit ... I'm sorry, Randy. I didn't ..."

An RKO interrupted Matt's sentence, leaving him groaning face down in the grass. Camilla started to crack up laughing in her seat as the engaged couple walked over to poolside.

"Did you two finish deciding what the wedding decorations are going to look like?", she asked.

Randy's eyes went to the sky, looking like he didn't know a damn thing, prompting Lilian to answer.

"Yep. Still going to keep the red/green/white motif. Even the cake is going to have little red and green accents."

"As long as the cake has mint icing, I'm happy", Randy said. "The rest I could just about care less, but I'm having that goddamn mint icing."

"Which gives _me_ free reign of just about anything else."

"But I **do **reserve veto power on something if I don't approve."

"If that's what you two want ...", Camilla began before noticing Matt walking out of the house with a back of ice on the back of his neck and something large and white in his hands. As he neared poolside, he dropped the bag of ice and whatever else he was carrying and charged right at Randy. The older Orton sighed and nonchalantly got up in preparation for Matt's attack. With a quick movement and a flick of his wrist, Randy sent Matt flying into the pool. Matt resurfaced quickly, climbed out of the pool, and faced his brother down.

"What's with the sudden RKO, dammit?"

"I get tired of you running into people. I thought it was time you learned to stop. And what better way than planting your face in the ground? Maybe you'd grow a sense of direction. What did you bring out the old hammock for anyway?"

"To spend time with my wife if you have to ask."

Camilla's face turned bright red as she saw Matt walk over and unfurl a large, white hammock and set it up between the two large oak trees in the backyard. In a state of mild shock, Camilla got up, taking the sunscreen with her, and walked over to where Matt was now lounging in between the two trees.

"I remembered that we had one of these in the closet and thought you might like it."

"Just ...", Camilla was speechless for a moment. Memories that had been latent for nearly two years came to the surface and was nearly overwhelmed with emotion. "... just like those nights in San Antonio."

"Come on ... lay down with me. Anyway, I never got to put sunscreen on you."

Camilla eyed her husband as she carefully got into the hammock, carefully as to not knock the pair over onto the ground. As Camilla untied the back of her bikini top, Matt smiled and leaned in for a kiss.

Meanwhile, Randy was having trouble not looking over to his brother and his sister-in-law. Lilian smacked him on the back of the head each time he would even turn his head in that direction just slightly.

"Ow! Would you stop doing that!"

"Don't be a pervert!"

"I'm not being a pervert! I'm just ... you know ... observing. For ... err ... _new_ things."

"_New_ things?", Lilian asked curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

"You've heard them at night sometimes! Good god! What does that boy _do_ to her!?"

"So ... you're _jealous_ of your brother?"

"**No!**", Randy shouted quite loudly without realizing it. Orton looked over to see his undeterred brother continuing his task and lowered his voice. "I mean ... wouldn't _you_ like something like that once in a while?"

"Maybe. In the future. But for now, what you've got now is good enough for me. But on to other things ..."

"_**Good**__ enough?"_

"... it's not about the wedding; we're done with that for now. It's about your little security issues when it comes to protecting Matthew."

Randy knew where this was going. On the plane ride home to St. Louis, he couldn't stop talking about how Batista wouldn't lay a finger on Matt, much to the annoyance of not only Matt, Camilla, and Lilian, but also all the passengers in the immediate area.

"You've got to come to the realization that Matt is his own man now. The decisions he makes are his and his alone. If he wants to bring Batista back into the family, so be it. I _did_ like the barbecue ribs he used to make on the weekends..."

"That's not the damn point! Batista tried to _kill_ my brother. _Kill_ him._ Take him away from me_. And now he expects us to just **take him back**?!"

"But that's what you're missing! Batista did not expect either you or Matt to forgive him! He is going to atone for what he did to you and Matt! You're forgetting that his jaw ... the jaw that _you_ nearly knocked off his face ... isn't fully healed yet. He's putting his well-being on the line, knowing that you're going to be pissed off to high heaven, just to apologize one way or another! Now ... you tell me ... _Randall Keith Orton_ ... does that look like a man that's going to attack your brother for no good reason?"

Randy shuddered at hearing his full name, knowing that it was a signal as to when Lilian was just a little pissed off.

"I'm ... I'm just worried about him. That's all. I'm overprotective of him, you know that."

"That's fine and dandy to me, Randy. Just give Matt some room! Like he said Monday night, if, by some off-beat chance that Batista tries something, you'll be there for him, right?"

"Yeah ... yeah, you're right."

Randy thought back to the reason he asked Lilian to marry him. She had the uncanny ability to calm his nerves, no matter what the situation. Well ... that wasn't the _only_ reason ... but it was one of the biggest.

Lilian called over to Camilla to toss the sunscreen over to her, and got it, albeit after it bounced off the top of Randy's head.

"Now let me see that skin", Lilian said suggestively. Randy quickly took off his shirt, but noticed that there was a peculiar scent in the air.

"Honey? Why does it smell like ..."

Then it hit him. Quickly looking over to his brother, Randy could have swore he saw his brother flash a thumbs up. However, the short glimpse was cut short by Lilian smacking Randy on the back of the head again.

"I said not to look!"

* * *

Driving to the arena from the Phoenix airport wasn't a particularly enjoyable experience for the foursome. Despite Lilian's positive reinforcement over the week, Randy was too nervous about the return of Batista to drive, leaving the wheel to his younger brother. Even then, Randy was constantly criticizing Matt's driving, even though Matt was one of the most careful drivers Lilian or Camilla had ever seen. As the younger Orton pulled into the arena's parking lot, the whole car breathed a sigh of relief. However, getting out of the car was a different story. Randy literally hovered over Matt, looking over his shoulder every three seconds as Matt, Camilla, and Lilian unpacked the car. 

"Randy, Batista's a pretty big guy ... he wouldn't be able to sneak up on us without us knowing."

But no response. The older Orton acted like the most robotic of sentry guns, only moving his head and peering down the hallways of the arena, looking for enemies to strike. He didn't even notice Team Angle walking past the pair, mocking the brothers for their lost last week. Upon reaching the locker room door, Randy was the last one in, making sure no one followed them in from behind.

"Have any of you seen Batista?", Randy asked fiercely to Amy, Eric, Shawn, and Hunter. None of the DX four had any clue where the Animal might be, prompting Orton to take his first breath since entering the arena.

"What's up with your brother?", Shawn asked Matt as Randy went into the bathroom to change into his gear.

"Being paranoid. Still doesn't believe Batista is here to apologize."

A sudden hard knock on the door caught everyone's attention, even Randy's, who darted out of the bathroom only in his boxers. With Randy's heart skipping a beat, Matt went up to answer the door.

Randy breathed a sigh of relief when the General Manager walked in and Orton returned to the bathroom. Austin handed Eric and Shawn, the two closest men, copies of the card for the night.

"Thought you guys might be interested in this", Stone Cold barked out, in his normal deep Texan voice. "Has a direct bearing on what happens at SummerSlam for most of you."

The first thing Eric noticed was a rather large match concerning Amy. "A g_auntlet _match?", Eric read out loud.

"If she wins, it'll be her versus Mrs. Orton over there for the Women's strap. Now keep readin'."

Amy quickly latched herself onto her boyfriend and started talking strategy. Eric handed the card over to Randy, who was newly dressed after emerging from the bathroom. After reading the card, Randy could only smile as he saw the match that he and Matt deserved. "I like where this is going", he began. "If we win this, we go to SummerSlam."

"Team Angle versus Team Orton for the #1 contenders' spot to the World Tag Team Championship", Austin echoed out loud for those without the paper in their hands. "And if they try to pull something like last week, I'll disqualify them personally."

Randy nudged Matt in the back. "See?", he whispered. "We've got one hell of an advantage with him on our side. Just don't screw this one up for this, alright?"

"_Me_ screw up? Fat chance. And why did you have to wear the purple tights?", Matt said, looking down at his brother's attire. "You know I hate purple! Why couldn't you wear something like blue or red?"

"Stop being insecure and go get dressed before I RKO you here again on the concrete."

Hesitantly, Matt grabbed his bag and stormed off to the bathroom to get dressed.

"And then, one big main event: Cena and Jericho versus Barringer and Taker."

Eric let out an audible gasp that silenced the whole room. There was no doubt that Barringer was over his previous fear of the Deadman, but never in a million years did he think that the Undertaker would be his tag team partner. Amy gave him a hug and whispered something in his ear, apparently enough to allay his temporary hesitation. Eric took off his long sleeve shirt, prompting Randy's jaw to hit the ground.

"... no freaking way. Matt, get in here. Get in here** right now!**"

Dejected in his matching purple tights, the younger Orton came out and looked up. He thought Randy was in front of him, recognizing the tattoos on his arms, but wondered where the hell the long orange hair came from.

"Ho ... ly ... crap ..."

"Don't you like them?", Amy asked eagerly. "Eric's been wanting to get the rest done for a long time, but he didn't have a chance until earlier this week! Now he's the sexiest man alive!"

Eric's smile was bigger than anything Matt or Randy had ever flashed. The brothers looked at each other, at first in disbelief, then with an increased sense of brotherhood, quite literally. The Ortons pulled Barringer aside and celebrated, while Shawn and Hunter looked on from across the room.

"He's finally become one of them", Shawn said quietly with a smile on his face. "Never thought the kid would grow up that fast. I'm proud of him."

"But shouldn't he be one of us?", Hunter added. "He's a member of DX, not them."

"Lay off, Hunter. Let the kid make his own decisions. Besides, he was close to Matt before he was close to either one of us."

"We _made_ him. And he hasn't given us any sort of recognition. How the hell do you expect me to deal with that?"

"_He_ made _himself_. He's gotten a chance at the World title. All by himself. He could be the youngest champion in this company's history, and you're saying that you orchestrated this whole thing? What _exactly_ are you saying? You're starting to assume the same mindset you did back when you kicked him out of Evolution. Calm ... down."

Amy and Camilla, albeit out of sight, had listened in to Shawn and Hunter's conversation.

"What the hell was that supposed to mean?", Amy said quietly.

* * *

The crowd was jeering Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas, who had just stepped into the ring after strolling confidently down the ramp. Backstage, Matt and Randy, clad in Randy's choice of colored tights, watched their opponents walk around the ring with cocky looks on their faces. 

"Aren't _we_ supposed to be the ones walking around like that?", Matt asked.

"I believe you are right, good sir. And, might I say, you look dashing in purple", Randy said in a faux-British accent.

"Remind me to kick your sarcastic ass when we get home. I can't even believe you're acting like this after the robot you became when we got here."

"Don't remind me. Once we're done, we're out of here. I'm taking you back to the hotel so I can keep my eye on you."

"Ugh ...", Matt said, putting his face in his hands in disappointment. "... here we go again. Listen, let's just go out there and kick ass. If anything, protect me from Benjamin and Haas, not Batista." Matt nodded to the sound guy to start playing 'Burn in My Light' before Randy could respond. Both brothers came out onto the stage, matching the level of cockiness and posing to the crowd. However, instead of taking their time in walking down to the ring, the Ortons sprinted down and slid into to the ring, unloading on their opponents with fists and forearms. Benjamin and Haas rolled out to ringside while the referee struggled to restrain the brothers. The bell hadn't rung yet, but it looked like the World's Greatest Tag Team didn't care. Both men started to walk up the ramp, evidently leaving the match altogether.

But an all-too familiar theme song started to play, prompting Matt to smile and Randy to jump.

Benjamin and Haas recognized the music too, and whirled around to confirm their suspicions. Dave Batista was now on the stage, wearing the old Evolution shirt that with his silhouette on the front of it. The World's Greatest Tag Team stood rooted to the spot, hands raised in front of them in an effort to reason with the Animal. All Batista had to do was point back towards the ring, and Benjamin and Haas scurried like mice back to the ring.

Randy didn't know how to react. For the moment, it seemed as if Batista was being beneficial, but the nagging feeling of the possibility of another backstabbing plagued his mind.

"Hey!", Matt yelled as their opponents crawled back into the ring. "Forget about him and get your mind on the match!"

The inbound Team Angle caused Randy to switch his focus and, with the bell ringing, Randy speared down both Benjamin and Haas at the same time. Haas rolled out of the ring again and attempted to walk back up the ramp again, but was met from another spear, this time from Batista. Looking back down to what was going on in the ring, Matt saw his brother with Benjamin in a sleeper hold. Randy dragged Benjamin to where Matt was standing and held his hand out for a tag.

Matt happily obliged and the brothers easily brought down a weary Benjamin with a double RKO. A quick three-count later, the Ortons were the #1 contenders to the World Tag Team Championships. Lilian was about to climb into the ring to congratulate her fiancée and future brother-in-law, but Randy wouldn't have any of it. Lilian was confused when Randy dove to ringside and grabbed a steel chair, but realized his intentions after seeing Batista climb into the ring. Randy stood between himself and his brother, holding the chair at the ready.

"**Keep ... your hands ... off my brother!"**, Randy screamed out in between breaths. Dave backed off for a second, putting his hands up in the air.

"Randy, I'm not going to do ..."

"**I don't care! I don't care what my brother thinks of you! You almost took him away from me! I'm not letting you do that again!"**

The sheer amount of raw emotion emanating from Randy was enough to silence the whole arena. Everyone could hear what Randy was saying even though he didn't have a microphone in hand. Matt looked up at the TitanTron to see tears streaming down Randy's beet-red face as he stood between himself and Batista.

"Randy ...", Matt said, "... put the chair down. He's not here to hurt me or you."

"**You don't know what the hell I'm going through right now! I spent sixteen years of my life without you and I'll be damned if I have to go through something like this again!"**

"_God, not this again _..." With split second thinking, Matt reached around and wrenched the chair away from Randy's grasp. Throwing the chair down to ringside, Matt spun his brother around and tried to reason with him.

"I already told you this before! Dave realized what he did! He realized what he did was wrong! Why the hell can't you see that!? He's our friend now! He was always our friend! Dave's got temper problems just like we do!"

"**I'm NOT going to let him ..."**

_SLAP!_

The echo of Matt's slap resounded throughout the building, even getting a eyebrow rise from Batista. Randy's emotion seemed to vanish and a blank look replaced the face of fear and anger. Matt embraced his brother, slapping him on the back to try to comfort him. Randy buried his face in his brother's shoulder and Matt could feel tears drop onto his skin.

"_Dave's going to be the same person he was before all this happened. Nothing more."_

Matt looked up and, to his confusion, saw Batista's eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. The same anger that was on Randy's face just moments ago seemed to have made its way to Dave's.

"_... you've got to be kidding me, Dave. I put my trust in you and you're going to..."_

Dave pushed both Matt and Randy aside and took aim at Shelton Benjamin, who had gotten to his feet and had the steel chair Matt discarded raised in the air, ready to strike. Batista speared the man down before Shelton had slammed the chair down on the brothers' heads. Randy and Matt looked down at Dave standing over Shelton's body, and the reality of what just had transpired slowly sunk into Randy. The older Orton slowly walked over to Batista and put his hand out for a handshake. The Animal turned around and looked in Randy's face. The anger turned to satisfaction.

"Glad to see you've come around."

"You saved both of us."

"That's what I plan to do every chance I get."

* * *

_Will Amy be able to earn her shot at Camilla's title? Will Eric be able to forge an effective partnership with the Undertaker for the main event? And is Hunter slipping back into his old ways?_

_Hope you enjoyed this one!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	70. Relapse

_Well ... 10,000 hits. I really can't believe I got this far. 70 chapters and over 250,000 words later, I'm still going._

_Batista has returned and set Randy straight, at least for now. Now, we'll have the results of Amy's gauntlet match as well as the tag team contest between Eric/Taker and Cena/Jericho. Also, Eric discovers that he has an unusual talent._

_Here we go!_

* * *

Backstage, Triple H carefully watched the events in the ring unfold. And Shawn Michaels was carefully watching Triple H carefully watch the monitor. 

"_What in the Lord's name is going on with him? First, he thinks Batista wasn't being truthful and now he's getting mad at the Ortons? Or at Eric himself? I don't even know. Jeez ..."_

Hunter unexpectedly got up from where he was on the bench and walked angrily out of the room, slamming the door shut on his way out. Eric, Amy, and Camilla all looked up at Shawn, expecting a reason, only to receive a shrug as HBK left the room in pursuit of HHH. As he rounded the corner, Shawn saw Hunter nearly at a running pace, with the brothers and Batista approaching far off in the distance. HHH noticed this, and his direction turned ever so slightly in the direction of Matt, Randy, and Dave.

"_Uh oh..."_, thought Shawn, _"... this can't be good."_

Shawn's jog turned into a run to get in between Hunter and the approaching trio. Sure enough, Triple H had a look of complete disgust on his face.

"What in the world are you doing?!", asked Shawn, apparently concerned about his tag team partner. "What the devil has gotten into you?"

Hunter didn't answer. Matt, Randy, and Dave all passed the pair, wondering what the hell was going on. Shawn realized that Hunter's gaze was transfixed on Batista.

"Him? What beef do you have with him? He hasn't done a thing to you! If anyone should have a grudge with Dave, it should be Randy! And look at them now! Nothing like that exists anymore! At least I don't think it does ... but anyway ..."

HHH started to walk in the opposite direction, and Shawn naturally assumed that Hunter was going to chase Dave down. However, much to HBK's surprise, Hunter turned the corner and forced open the General Manager's door. Given the history between Stone Cold and Triple H, Shawn knew this wasn't going to end well. When HBK walked into the room, he immediately stepped in between the two.

"I ...", Hunter said through gritted teeth, "... want ... a match ... against ... that **bastard** .. Batista. And I want it ... **tonight**."

"Since when do I do things for you, son?", Austin replied. "You want me to put one of my top superstars in physical danger when he's still injured? I don't think so!"

Hunter reared his fist back as if to strike, but was restrained by Shawn. HBK pushed HHH back up against the wall, struggling the whole way against Hunter's strength.

"You better be glad you've got him by your side", Austin stated, "or I'd stun your sorry ass! And you know what, Hunter? You want a match with Batista? You got one!"

They could hear the whole arena cheer wildly, and wondered how the hell they found out. It didn't occur to them that there was a camera following them around the whole time. Hunter slowly backed off with a evil grin on his face, taking Shawn with him. HBK slowly realized that if the whole arena now knew about the newly created match, that that meant ...

"_... Batista now knows too."_

Sure enough, Dave looked on with Randy and Matt at the monitor in the locker room. Eric, Amy, and Camilla still had no idea what was going on.

"What the hell is his problem?", asked Randy. "I mean ... how could he have a problem with Dave?"

Matt slowly turned to face his brother, amazed at his radically changed disposition.

"You know, for all the grief that you put us through, I oughta slug you across the face."

"Why don't you two just go get some drinks to celebrate", replied Batista. "We don't need two injured brothers right now."

As Randy and Matt bickered as they walked out the door, Shawn Michaels walked back into the locker room, absent of any trace of Triple H.

"Hunter's gone and lost his damn mind. If it wasn't for me, he would have charged right at you, Dave. And I saved him some embarrassment in Austin's office, as you plainly saw there on the monitor. And I have no idea why. He wouldn't say a word to me and left before I could ask him anything."

"We win one; we lose one", said Amy reluctantly. "In with Batista and out with Hunter."

"Now, don't go saying that", said a hesitant HBK. "He's ... he's just ... well, I don't know what's wrong with him."

"We heard what he said earlier about Eric", spurted out Camilla.

"What about me?", asked Barringer naturally, his head turning towards the two women.

"That you hadn't given Hunter any sort of recognition for the place that you are in now. There's no doubt in my mind that Triple H is turning into the old Triple H that we all grew to hate."

"This is the _last_ thing I need right now", said Eric sadly, putting his head into his hands.

Meanwhile, near the monitor, Randy, Matt, and Dave contemplated their next move.

"You don't have to do this", said Randy. "Your jaw is still healing."

"If I can take an RKO from Matt and fall flat on my face on the steel stage out there and then come back in less than a week to compete, I think I can compete with this. Besides, if Hunter's got a problem with me, he can tell me to my face."

Randy and Matt looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

"No arguing with that", both men said in unison.

* * *

The WWE's Women's Champion, Camilla Orton, had just finished making her entrance, walking out to 'Burn in My Light' for the first time. Sitting down with J.R. and the King at ringside, she listened to the next few words. 

"The following contest is a Diva's Gauntlet match!", Lilian announced to the crowd. "If Lita can successfully manage to defeat her three opponents in succession, by either pinfall or submission, she will earn a WWE Women's Championship match in four weeks at the biggest party of the summer, SummerSlam!"

Lita's music hit the arena, getting a rousing round of cheers and applause from the crowd. The former Women's Champion made her way into the ring, staring right at the belt Camilla had on the announce table in front of her. A few belt motions later, and Camilla started shaking her head.

Victoria's music started to play, and Lita turned to face her first opponent.

"Now, Mrs. Orton, if I may call you that", asked J.R., "you've never been defeated since your debut here in the WWE. Do you think that you can successfully defend your title?"

"Of course I can! I beat probably the best female wrestler in years, Trish Stratus, at WrestleMania to earn this belt. Since then, I've got up against Diva's like Jazz, Victoria, Torrie Wilson, and even Trish herself in a rematch and no one has been able to take me down. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Lita like a sister ... but there's no chance that she can take this belt away from an Orton."

The sound of the bell interrupted Camilla's little impromptu interview, and she looked back up to the ring to see Lita raising her arms in victory; she had quickly finished off Victoria with a Moonsault after a rather impressive set of two powerbombs. Torrie Wilson came out from behind the curtain, and Camilla nearly shot up out of her chair to tackle Wilson down herself. However, Lita made sure to take care of that once Torrie got into the ring, exploding in a series of kicks to the midsection. Lita picked Torrie up and whipped her to the ropes, executing a flawless back body drop. Not finished with her yet, Lita shoved Torrie to a corner and started to drive her shoulder repeatedly into Torrie's stomach. Wilson stumbled into the middle of the ring and fell to her knees, clutching her midsection and gasping for air. Lita once again climbed up to the top turnbuckle and this time let loose with a leg drop to the back of Torrie's head.

"1, 2, 3!"

Camilla sat in shock at what had just transpired.

"You don't call that impressive?", asked Lawler. "She just finished off two opponents in less than five minutes."

"I never said she was an excellent competitor. But she's nothing compared to me. _Nothing_!"

Backstage, changed into street clothes, Randy chuckled at his little brother. "Looks like we've rubbed off on her. She's got our confidence."

A female laugh came through the speakers, and everyone knew that Trish Stratus was coming down the ramp. However, Trish didn't head into the ring immediately. She ran around and went straight to the announcer's table. She dove headfirst into Camilla's lap and started to pound away at the Women's champion, not pulling any punches, but pulling a lot of hair. Lita quickly rolled under the bottom rope and pulled Stratus off of Camilla, tossing Trish into the steel steps. Shocked, but with her wits still about her, Camilla picked up her title belt and slammed it into the side of Trish's head. Luckily for Lita, the referee was rolling out of the ring himself at the time and didn't see the interference. Lita tossed a limp Stratus in the ring and quickly applied the Camel Clutch. With Trish already knocked out, it didn't take long for the ref to end the match.

"Here is your winner and the _new_ #1 contender to the WWE Women's Championship, Lita!"

Camilla, albeit still in disarray from Trish's attack, climbed into the ring, and it looked like there would be a little bit of a brawl. The two women faced each other down, and Eric and Matt wondered if they would have to go out there and separate the two. However, true to form, the two women embraced and Camilla congratulated her future SummerSlam opponent.

Backstage, Batista came out fully dressed in his wrestling gear.

"God, it actually feels good to be back in this stuff."

"It'll feel better once you bomb Hunter into the canvas", added Shawn. "Knock some sense into him, will ya? Him leaving us is not something I want to experience right now."

"One order of flattened Triple H coming up!", Batista said as he left the room. Randy and Matt looked at each other blankly, trying to find something to say.

"Since when did Dave get a sense of humor?", Shawn asked.

* * *

"Now, King", began J.R., as a replay of what happened between Randy, Matt, and Dave played on the TitanTron, "I'm not quite sure what prompted Triple H to have his confrontation with General Manager Stone Cold Steve Austin, but we're fixing to have a match between the Game and the Animal, even with Batista's jaw still rattled after that football-like kick from Randy Orton!" 

"Well, if you ask me, J.R., I just think Triple H is jealous of Batista returning. Just think about it, once Batista gets resettled back here on RAW, he'll be back in the World title scene, and Hunter just can't stomach someone else getting in his way."

"To be quite honest, King, Triple H shouldn't be worried about Batista. If you ask me, the next person in line for a title shot will be the Undertaker. He's made it clear to Austin and everyone in the back that he will pursue whomever wins the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam. Besides, Hunter should be focused on the fact that the Orton brothers have a match against him and Shawn Michaels at SummerSlam for the World Tag Team Championships. That should keep his mind occupied!"

_**Its time to play the game...**_

"Well, it looks like we'll be able to see where Triple H's mind is right now, because this match is about to start!"

As Hunter made his way to the ring, spraying water from his usual water bottle all over the place, the fans were still divided on whether or not to support him or not. The clearly split crowd wasn't as loud as they usually were. There was a decidedly different look on Triple H's face; not only was he out here to compete, Hunter looked like he was ready to _take out_ someone. Instead of his usual fanfare, Hunter immediately climbed into the ring and turned straight towards the curtain. With all the ambiguity surrounding the Game, one thing _was_ certain: Hunter was ready to compete.

And so was his opponent. Batista's theme song caused the crowd to change from half-dead to full-throttle electric. Dave came out to the stage dressed to compete for the first time in a long while, and, to everyone's surprise, a machine-gun like pyro accompanied Batista's trot down to the ring. Triple H, ironically, looked like a caged animal in the ring, stomping back and forth, breathing heavily, and grinding his teeth. Batista slowly climbed up the steel steps at the corner of the ring, keeping his eyes on his opponent. Dave wasn't scared by any means, but he did have to keep in mind that his jaw was incredibly vulnerable.

Lilian quickly scurried out of the ring as the referee rung the bell to start the match. Surprisingly, Hunter slowly advanced to the center to face down Dave.

"You think you can come back and just expect to be on the same level that you were before, Dave? You're nothing, now. You were taken out by a couple of kids. This is _my_ place to rule now."

"If it's your place to rule, then why is an eighteen year-old kid in a better place than you to win the World title? I thought that's what you always wanted, huh? To win the big gold strap. That's why you started Evolution. That's why you took over D-Generation X. Shawn knows what you're capable of and he's done all he could to keep that animal tamed. For me, it took the realization that I nearly _killed_ a man. I've got mine under lock and key. For you ... I don't ever think you'll..."

A fist slammed itself directly into Batista's affected jaw, prompting a loud scream that jarred the ears of everyone in the arena. Dave took a few steps back, but immediately took down his attacker with a spear. Triple H stood right back up, only to walk right into a powerful spinebuster that rattled the whole ring. Once again, Triple H quickly made it to his feet despite the pain in his back, only to get kicked in the stomach before being set up in the powerbomb position. Hunter saw himself in the air on the TitanTron before seeing nothing but darkness as he was rammed back first into the canvas.

"1, 2, 3!"

However, instead of 'I Walk Alone' playing on the loudspeakers, 'Sexy Boy' surprised everyone, and Shawn Michaels walked on down to the ring. HBK climbed in, and the fans thought there might be a skirmish, but Shawn extended his hand to the Animal in thanks. Batista accepted and Shawn walked over to help his best friend to his feet.

"How did that slice of humble pie taste, Hunter?", Shawn asked jokingly. "Was it good? I hear tell its _fantastic_."

"Cut the crap, Shawn", Hunter creaked out, holding his back. "Just take me to get an ice pack ... goddamn."

"First, you'll tell me why you went after Batista. This was pointless. All you did was get yourself embarrassed!"

Hunter rubbed the back of his head while Dave stood silently in the corner. The two men once again exchanged malicious glances while Triple H held his hand out for a microphone.

"Shawn ... you gotta be looking ahead to the future. Sure, we're World Tag Team Champions now ... but that's not gonna last forever. After SummerSlam, I will tear through whoever I have to ... whether it be the Undertaker ... John Cena ... Dave Batista ... or even Eric Barringer ... to get to the World Heavyweight Championship."

The fans all collectively booed at Triple H while Shawn looked down at the ground in disgust. HBK took a few steps back when Hunter stood face to face with Batista once again. Shawn looked at his best friend, who was now shaking violently.

"_You know ..."_, Shawn thought to himself, _"... for a while there, I actually thought I had him back for good."_

Without another thought, Shawn took aim and launched Sweet Chin Music, hitting Triple H directly in the left temple. The suddenness of HBK's move even caused Batista to jump back, thinking that Shawn was aiming for him. Shawn took off the World Tag Team Championship belt he had around his waist and draped it over his fallen former friend.

"You're still the same old Hunter Hearst Helmsley that came to power when I left this business so long ago", Shawn said to an unconscious Triple H. "I'll never understand why you became that man. And I've now accepted the fact that I'll never get the friend I knew way back when. But now ... now that doesn't matter to me. There's a young man backstage that I value as if he were my own son. He and I will take D-Generation X to the very end. Batista and the Ortons will carry the legacy of Evolution farther than you ever would have allowed."

Batista smiled, remembering the debt he still has to repay to Randy and Matt.

"And if you're not down with that, Hunter, I've got two words for ya!", Shawn screamed into the microphone, holding two fingers in HHH's face.

* * *

Eric couldn't begin to comprehend what had just transpired in the ring. Walking to the curtain, Barringer tried desperately to push it out of his mind; after all, he had a tag team match against John Cena and Chris Jericho in a couple of minutes. His partner, the Undertaker, was nowhere to be seen, and Eric was getting increasingly worried on how a strategy would be arranged. Upon getting to the curtain, Barringer paced back and forth as he waited for his cue to go onstage. With the departure of Hunter from D-Generation X and the seemingly apathetic nature of the Undertaker in regards to their match tonight, Eric was ready to flip out. Indeed he did when a hand placed itself on Eric's right shoulder, causing him to turn around quickly, his hands raised to fight. 

"Whoa there, son!", cried out a defensive Shawn Michaels. "I'm not going to hurt ya!"

Eric's breathing rate slowly began to lower itself. "Sorry … this is just a little much to be happening right now. I mean, with Hunter and all …"

"Don't you worry about Hunter. I've got this under control. I've already asked Austin for something to settle this in the next couple of weeks."

"Wait … a match?"

"Yep. Dave already took Hunter down and now it's my turn. He needs to hear someone tune up the band again."

"Then what about your match against Randy and Matt at SummerSlam?"

"I don't know, Eric." Shawn's voice clearly took a turn for the serious. "I don't want to be considered tag champions with that man. I made it clear to Austin that I wouldn't do it. Whether or not he allows me to drop the titles is all up to him."

"I guess you now know how Matt felt when he had to defend the belts against you two with Cena in his corner. He wasn't too happy about it either."

Shawn reluctantly nodded. "But this isn't about me right now. You've got to get out there and show everyone why you deserve to be World champ."

"I've done that already … but have you seen the Undertaker around anywhere?", Eric asked cautiously. "We go on in five minutes and I haven't even talked to him yet!"

HBK had a hearty chuckle and shook his head. "Eric, you just don't talk strategy with the Deadman. Just go out there and be on your guard. That'll serve you enough."

"Shawn, wait!", Eric yelled out as Michaels turned and started to walk away. "What the hell does that mean?!"

"Taker's not going to want to lose. Just do your thing and he'll do his. You'll do fine", HBK yelled out as he continued walking back to the locker room. Barringer could hear Cena's theme song fading away in preparation for DX's theme. Eric's eyes floated down to the tattoos on his forearms, then up to the ones on his upper arms.

"_Pray for me, guys."_

Back in the locker room, Randy looked over at his younger brother.

"_Did you say something?"_

"_What? I didn't say anything."_

"_I could have sworn I heard you say 'Pray for me'."_

"_Dude ... I didn't say anything."_

"_Then who the hell did?"_

"**BREAK IT DOWN!"**

Eric stepped out onto the stage, discarding his usual fanfare and walking straight down to the ring. Even the fans were a little surprised at Barringer's overly serious demeanor; he was usually the most lively one of the night. John and Chris both recognized this and started to taunt the junior DX member to try to get under his skin.

It didn't work.

All at once, Eric jumped onto the apron just as the lights went out. Barringer didn't let that deter himself, and hopped into the ring, retreating to one of the corners to surprise either Cena or Jericho once the lights came back on. The Undertaker's silhouette started to make his walk down the ramp as Eric charged up Sweet Chin Music, waiting patiently in the corner. Both of his opponents were frozen in the ring; the Undertaker had the uncanny ability to make people stop in their tracks. Eric could see someone ... he couldn't tell if it was John or Chris ... mere feet away from him, backing up slowly against the ropes. Taker made his way to the steel steps and raised his arms, bringing the lights back on.

_SMACK!_

The sound of Eric's boot met the side of Chris Jericho's face, flipping him over the top rope. Eric quickly got back onto the apron to allow Taker to have first crack at Cena, who was looking up into the ring beside his knocked out partner. Shaking his head, Cena sprinted around the ring and up the ramp. Barringer wanted to drop down and give chase, but Taker put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

Sure enough, while Cena flashed his 'you can't see me' taunt to Eric and the Undertaker, Randy and Matt appeared from behind the curtain. Cena didn't have the cocky smile on his face for long when he turned around; the brothers assaulted the would-be rapper all the way down the ramp and threw him back into the ring. The referee finally rang the bell to start the match, and Taker already signaled for the Tombstone Piledriver. John leapt to his feet suddenly, catching Taker off guard enough to execute a drop toe hold. Eric watched in bewilderment as Cena locked in the STFU on the Deadman. Barringer leaned over the top rope as far as he could, reaching his arm towards Taker's own extended hand. John was pulling back as hard as he could; if he could finish the match now, it would give him an incredible amount of momentum heading towards SummerSlam. Taker, however, wouldn't give up so easily. Using both arms, Taker drug himself over to his corner, and managed to make the tag.

Barringer quickly hopped into the ring and tried to clothesline Cena down. John managed to dodge it and ran full speed into Eric with a shoulder block. Undeterred, Eric hopped right back up, only to fall victim to another running shoulder block. Weakened, but not slowed, Barringer got back to his feet, only to stumble into a side spinout slam. Randy and Matt started a chant of "Let's go, Eric!" as John threw his hand in the air to signal for the Five Knuckle Shuffle. The move connected, and Cena waited for Eric to get up, readying the FU.

"_Where is he?"_, Eric thought, his vision blurry. _"Where the hell is he?"_

The brothers exchanged shocked glances as they heard that thought. Looking back at Eric, then looking again at each other, Randy and Matt let giant smiles take over their faces.

"_He's behind you! Get ready to counter the FU!"_, Randy thought right back at Eric.

Barringer managed to stumble back up using the ropes, and walked right into Cena's position. John lifted Eric onto his back, but Eric used a stiff elbow to the temple to escape. Thinking quickly, Eric caught John as he was turning around with a quick tune of Sweet Chin Music. A recovered Undertaker stepped over the top rope and caught Cena as he was falling down, flipping him up and upside down. Soon enough, the top of John's head was spiked down into the ground with a Tombstone Piledriver. Taker got up to allow Eric to pick up the three-count.

After Lilian declared Eric and the Deadman as the winners of the match, Taker was already walking up the ramp, and made a belt motion around his waist. Eric certainly wasn't intimidated, pointing right back at the Deadman and making his own belt motion. The brothers climbed into the ring and lifted Eric up onto their shoulders as DX's music rang throughout the arena.

"_How the hell ... where did you guys come from?"_, Eric asked.

"_You know you're not actually speaking, right?"_, Randy shot back. _"Your mouth isn't moving."_

"_I guess you're official", _Matt added. _"I don't know when or how ... but you're really one of us now."_

"_Wait ... we're talking telepathically?"_

"_Yeah"_, responded both brothers.

"_**DUDE!**__ That's freakin' awesome!"_

* * *

_Back at the Orton household, Eric, Randy, and Matt try to deduce where their unusual ability came from. Batista and Shawn cook barbecue, Amy, Lilian, and Camilla sing karaoke, and the three guys try to dance. Then, with three weeks away from SummerSlam, Austin clears up a couple of important issues._

_Whew! This one took a while, but I did it! Hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to let me know how I'm doing!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	71. Declaration

_**Important**: __I admit that I may have made the story a tad over-the-top with Eric now being able to communicate like the brothers do. Please tell me what you think about this, as I'm having second thoughts as to whether or not I should keep that a part of the story. But for now, I might as well run with it._

_Jeez, guys, I'm sorry for taking so long on this chapter. I've been overrun by college and my shoulder hurting, and it hasn't been a good couple of weeks. But now its Spring Break, and hopefully, I'll be able to churn out another chapter or two before the break is over._

_The whole family, sans Hunter, gets together for a good ole' barbecue. The girls try to get Eric, Randy, and Matt to dance to their new karaoke machine before the three men discuss their telepathic link with one another. Then, after a surprise announcement concerning Randy's Intercontinental title, what will happen to the World Tag Team Championship match at SummerSlam__ is revealed _

_Here we go!_

* * *

The month of August had just begun, and the smell of ribs and brisket filled the area immediately surrounding the Orton household. Dave and Shawn definitely brought in the spirit of summer with chef's hats and aprons that said "Kiss the Cook" on them. The rest of the family all were lounging either in our outside of the pool, taking in the rays of the bright summer sun.

"_I can't believe how different Dave is"_, thought Randy as he floated around in an inner tube. _"It's such a radical change from the cold-hearted, silent type he was before the incident. And considering my predisposition towards Batista before Monday night, I still think it's incredible that I have a positive opinion of him."_

"_Predisposition?"_, thought Eric in response. _"Since when did you use big words in conversation?"_

Randy shot Eric a look and splashed a large volley of water directly in his face, prompting a splashing war between the two of them. Lilian and Amy looked at each other and shook their heads in disapproval before getting splashed themselves. Randy and Eric both jumped out of the pool, grabbed their respective significant other, and jumped right back in, whether the women liked it or not. Matt and Camilla were cuddling in the corner of the pool, staying away from all of the action.

Meanwhile, Dave put his cooking utensils down and took a seat across from Shawn, who had also decided to take a short break.

"How are you holding up?", asked Dave, wondering about Shawn's mental status after the events of last Monday night. 

"I'm … _okay_, I guess. I thought I could trust him again. I thought he had really changed. He even said so the night he came back …"

Shawn's voice trailed off as he looked up to the sky. Dave didn't know what it was like to have lost a best friend; he didn't have many friends at all back in his younger years. 

"Well, you've got the future World Heavyweight Champion at your side. That has to make up for something, right?"

"I don't know. To tell you the truth, I'm … I guess I'm just scared that Eric's going to turn into someone exactly like Hunter. Just look at him, only eighteen years old, and he's got a chance to become the youngest World champ ever. Don't you realize the sort of ego inflating effect that might have on him? Can't you see the real possibility of him getting an uncontrollable ego just like Hunter has?"

"Shawn, I …", Dave began, but he stopped mid-sentence. Barringer _did_ have a little bit of an ego trip every once in a while; it was the very reason why Eric got himself kicked out of Evolution in its early days. "I think the only reason you're thinking this way is because of what happened with Hunter. You're seeing yourself as a father figure to Eric in much the same way as you saw yourself as Hunter's best friend. You're scared of losing Eric in the same way you did Hunter only because of a few coincidences. Besides, Eric looks up to you as a father figure! There's a significant different between that and 'best friend'. Don't you think that's reason enough to say that he won't turn on you? When Eric wins that title, the first person he's going to thank is you for all the push and all the support you've given him."

HBK looked on at the orange-haired competitor being dunked into the pool by his girlfriend and let out a long sigh.

"I pray to God that you're right, Dave."

* * *

As the night grew old, Amy, Camilla, and Lilian unveiled the new karaoke machine that they had purchased the previous week without the men knowing. Dave rolled his eyes as Shawn started to make a fool of himself while singing his own theme song, 'Sexy Boy'. Amy, Lilian, and Camilla provided the back up while Eric, Randy, and Matt were bobbing their heads at the picnic table.

"You three can't be serious", said Dave in a deep, resigned voice. "You're actually enjoying this?"

"What?", said Randy, holding a beer in his hand. "Loosen up! We haven't gotten an opportunity like this to relax in weeks and all you want to do is sit back and grunt. Why don't you get up there and start singing?"

"Fat chance, Orton."

"Okay ... tell you what. You get up there and sing, and each of us will let you Batista Bomb us into the pool."

Eric and Matt collectively spit what root beer they had in their mouths out, apparently not excited at the prospect of getting thrown forcefully in the water. Before they could protest, however, Batista had already gotten up and headed towards Shawn and the girls.

"Damn it!", Matt exclaimed, slamming his fist against the table. "What kind of a genius idea was _that_, Randy? I don't want that stinging feeling on my back and I'm sure neither Eric nor you want that either! Goddammit, I hate it when you're drunk!"

"I'm not drunk!", snapped back the older brother. "I'm just buzzed. I've only had one beer!", he said holding up the bottle in his hand. The two underage males looked over at the three empty beer bottles on the table, then back at Randy. Orton had a look of incredulity on his face. Matt and Eric looked at each other, got up and each grabbed Randy under his arms.

"Hey! What the hell are you two doing! Stop it! Stop ..."

Randy couldn't finish his sentence because he was now underwater. Eric and Matt then went back over to the picnic table to finish their root beers.

"Do you really think Dave's going to want to bomb us in the water?", asked Matt. "Being bombed on the canvas is one thing, but in the water? It'll feel like I've been given twenty lashes ... jeez."

"I don't know ... Dave _was_ hesitant to get up there and sing. By the by, he's not that bad of a crooner."

The two men looked over at Lilian, who reluctantly started to dance with Shawn upon seeing her fiancée splashing around drunkenly in the pool. Amy and Camilla then flashed expectant glances over at Eric and Matt, respectively. 

"_I don't know how to dance like that!"_, thought Eric, cringing at the thought of himself tripping over his own feet. 

"_Me either, jeez..."_

"**Oh, jeez!**" Eric jumped at hearing Matt's voice in his head, startling everyone in the backyard, including Randy, who was just now trying to climb out of the pool. _"Sorry"_, Eric thought back to Matt. _"I'm still not used to your voice popping in my head every so often."_

"_You'll get used to it after a while"_, Matt replied. _"It took about a week for me. Then Randy just started messing with my mind every five minutes. It gets fun after a bit, but then he can get really freaking annoying."_

"_How do you think you two started doing this?"_, Eric asked as he walked over to Amy. Matt also walked up to Camilla and all three couples started to slow dance. Randy was trying to bumble his way towards the dance group, but wasn't having much success.

"_To be honest, even though it seems like its ripped from a children's fiction novel, I just think it's a product of me and Randy being apart for a significant part of our lives."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Well ... I figured since sixteen years separated us, this was just the result of the lack of a bond between us. We went from no bond to a hell of a strong one and this was one of the by-products."_

"_Then how ..."_

"**OW!** Watch your damn foot, Eric!"

"Oh!", Barringer exclaimed, realizing that he had stepped on Amy's toe. "Sorry! So sorry!"

"Just be more careful. And look at me, not Matt. That's just ... _creepy_."

"_Heh"_, Matt chuckled. _"You'll learn how to do it without making direct eye contact soon enough. I think Randy'll give you enough practice."_

"_Okay ... well, back to what I was saying. If you think that talking this way with your brother came from something like that, how do you explain me doing it?"_

Matt stopped dancing and took a second to think on that, despite horribly confusing Camilla. After another awkward second of pausing, Matt continued the dance. _"Come to think of it, I have no freakin' clue as to why you can talk to us like this..."_

"_You don't think that I'm your long-lost brother, do you?"_

"_What? No ... how would you? I mean ... you've known your parents all your life, right? There's no way you'd be my brother!"_

"_Well, you knew your parents ... or who you thought were your parents ... all your life, so you say. Then you found Randy."_

_**SMACK!**_

"**OW!**", Eric yelled, as he got popped in the mouth by Amy.

"Look at what you're goddamn doing, Eric! Jeez..."

By the time Eric got his rhythm back, Batista had finished singing. Eric and Matt looked up hesitantly at the Animal, who brushed them off with a simple wave of the hand. The two teenagers breathed a sigh of relief and actually laughed for a bit as they watched Dave slowly trudge over to a seated Randy, who was still trying to get his bearings back. Orton saw Batista's feet and looked up.

"I think it's time for you to take a trip in the pool."

"Wha ... what?", stumbled Randy. "Since when?"

"But, of course, you don't remember", sighed Dave. 

"I don't remember what?", Randy slurred, trying to get his thoughts together. But before Randy could put all the pieces into place, Dave was dragging him towards the water. Everyone, including Lilian, was doubling over with laughter as Batista lifted the older Orton up and down into the water with a tremendous splash. As he came back up to the surface, Randy gritted his teeth at the intense stinging covering his whole back.

"_Remind me never to get drunk in front of Dave again, alright?"_

Matt and Eric looked at each other and shrugged.

"_We'll think about it."_

* * *

The echoes of the fans in Raleigh, North Carolina for the August 4th edition of Monday Night RAW reverberated through the walls, pumping everyone in the locker room up for the night's events. Eric was busy cracking his knuckles in the corner of the room; he had been itching for a shot at Cena for quite a while now. The sound of his fist banging into one of the locker doors rang out intermittently, one for each day until SummerSlam. The brothers, in matching North Carolina Tar Heel light blue and white tights, were doing something similar: going through their usual pre-match ritual of butting heads, chests, and fists as if they were on the same football team together. Shawn and Dave didn't know if they had anything in store of them, but were dressed to compete nonetheless. Amy and Camilla sat ready to go out to the ring as well; they were just waiting for whatever Stone Cold could throw at them.

They didn't have to wait long. The sound of breaking glass filled the arena and the General Manager of RAW came out to kick off the night's broadcast. 

"Well ... looks like we can't manage to keep the roster straight for any longer than two weeks at a goddamn time! Now, I've got problems on my hands, and I'm sick and tired of these goddamn problems popping up every once in a while! But ... but ... I can keep a level head. I'm not like that son of a bitch Bischoff! So here's what ole Stone Cold's gonna do. We need new #1 contenders to those World Tag Team Championships so they can face the Ortons at SummerSlam. I'll get those by ..."

The World's Greatest Tag Team, Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas, interrupted the GM's speech and waltzed on down to the ring.

"Now, Austin", said Benjamin, who had snatched Lilian's microphone away forcefully, "I don't think you'll have to do much work to decide who the new #1 contenders are. There's only one ..."

Austin snatched the microphone from Benjamin just as Benjamin did from Lilian, eliciting a smirk of revenge from the ring announcer. 

"Who the hell invited you two down here? You know, just as I was about to grant you two the spot, you have to come down here and make asses of yourselves. So here's what I'm going to do ..."

Benjamin and Haas were clearly distressed at hearing that they had the spot locked up, resulting in a mischievous grin from the brothers backstage.

"... I hear tell that, back there in that locker room, there are other teams that want a shot at the biggest prize in the tag team division. More importantly, theres a certain team back there that knows each other more than you two kids could ever do so."

Randy and Matt looked curiously at each other, wondering where Stone Cold was going with this.

"As a matter of fact, one of them is coming back early from injury that ... ironically enough ... came from Matt Orton himself after he pummeled this guy almost to a bloody pulp!"

Matt's heart sunk to his stomach. Randy stood straight up and eyed the monitor like it was someone aiming a gun at Matthew.

"So ...", continued Stone Cold, "... it will be you two sons of bitches against these two boys!"

Everyone's head collectively turned towards the TitanTron. Randy and Matt looked at the two men who stepped out on the stage with incredible looks of disgust on their faces. One delayed Matt's reign as World Tag Team Champions by attacking his partner. The other stole who Randy thought of as the next Mrs. Orton. 

The Hardy brothers stepped out onto the stage, albeit to a mixed reaction. The Ortons could still see a light shade of bruising on Matt Hardy's face; the younger Orton had really let himself go when he destroyed Hardy a couple of months ago. 

"Whoever wins ... they lose", said Randy through clenched teeth. 

"You're a wrestler, not a movie tagline writer", said Matt, trying to lighten the mood. "But you're right. It's not going to matter who we destroy at SummerSlam. Those belts are ours."

"Sharing those belts with you will mean more to me than Lil... well, mean just as much ..."

"_Nice save"_, thought Matt.

"... just as much as Lilian. I went through too goddamn much to ..."

"But wait just a goddamn minute!", Austin yelled in the microphone, throwing Randy off guard. "I'm not done yet! I've got more business to attend to. Now, there's the issue of the Intercontinental title I have to address." Matt's ears perked up momentarily. "It's come to my attention that we haven't seen a classic match from those two Ortons in a little while. So, tonight in this very ring, it will be a one-fall match for the Intercontinental Championship between ..."

"_**Break the walls down...**_"

If there was one thing Austin hated, it was being interrupted. Chris Jericho came down to the ring and tried to take the microphone from the GM, only to receive a sudden Stone Cold Stunner for his actions. Jericho lay unconscious on the mat, but was immediately attacked by both Hardy brothers.

"Oh hell no ...", muttered Randy. Without even thinking about it, both brothers dashed out of the locker room.

"Where are they going?", asked Shawn.

Dave, Amy, Camilla, and Eric all turned to face HBK with incredulous looks on their faces.

"What?", replied HBK. "Did I miss something?"

"Jeez, Shawn", commented Eric, "you're just as absent-minded as I am sometimes."

Randy and Matt blazed by a retreating Benjamin and Haas and raced straight for the ring, diving in to get Jeff and Matt off of Stone Cold. They caught the Hardys off-guard, each Orton getting a Hardy to a corner across from one another. After some shoulder blocks from Matt and a series of fierce forearms from Randy, the Ortons whipped each Hardy to the center of the ring, making them slam into each other. As the Hardys stumbled around, Randy caught Jeff with a swift and deadly RKO, while Matt powerfully executed an MKO on the Hardy that he shares his name with. 

Once Stone Cold got back to his feet, he resumed the announcement he was about to make.

"Now ... I was about to say something before, but let's just say I was inspired by recent events. Tonight, we will have a handicap match for the Intercontinental title! Randy and Matthew Orton against Chris Jericho! Whoever gets the pin walks out with the title around their waist."

Randy and Matt looked at each other, not exactly happy that Jericho would have a chance to walk out of North Carolina, but excited that both of them would finally get an opportunity to pummel Jericho mercilessly together. 

'Burn in My Light' played RAW to commercial as each brother Orton posed on the turnbuckle, awaiting their moment under the lights tonight.

* * *

The match between Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy and the World's Greatest Tag Team was the first on the card now, and Stone Cold was sitting at ringside commentating. Randy and Matt were cooling off backstage; the brothers were sure that Stone Cold could handle either team with a steel chair of his own easily at Austin's disposal. Meanwhile, Shawn, Dave, Amy, and Camilla sat in the back of the locker room, a bit disappointed that Stone Cold didn't say anything concerning them in a match tonight.

"Maybe he just forgot? I mean, there_ are_ a lot of matches tonight. Maybe there's just not any room for us", conjectured Camilla. 

"We're on the card", said Batista confidently. "There's no way Austin would just leave us off. Did someone go get a copy of it yet?"

"Eric went about ten minutes ago", answered Amy. "He'll be back soon. Think we'll be going up against each other tonight, Camilla? Non-title? I could give you your first defeat."

Camilla rolled her eyes and shot back a retort while Shawn and Dave slowly slid their way down the bench to get away from the two women. Before things could get more complicated, the locker room door opened to reveal Barringer with a piece of paper in his hand, presumably the card for the night. 

"Shawn, you and I are tag team partners tonight!", Eric yelled, walking by the two brothers, who were discussing strategy. "We're going up against Hunter and John."

HBK was pleasantly surprised at this development, but Batista was still waiting patiently for his name to be called. 

"Dave ... good luck", Eric said, handing the paper to Batista. The Animal looked down at the list of matches and his eyes actually widened at the name next to his. Amy, Camilla, and even Shawn looked over Dave's shoulder to find out who it was; Dave wasn't saying anything. HBK let out a long whistle upon learning Dave's opponent.

"Looks like you've got your work cut out for ya."

Dave was facing the Undertaker. Batista took a deep breath, got up, and walked out of the room, leaving the card on the bench. 

"Man of few words", mentioned Camilla. "But enough of that. What about us?", she asked, picking the card up. "Whoa..." Camilla handed the card to Amy, evidently a little shaken up. Amy took one look and understood why. They would be tag team partners, but in a five-on-two handicap match against Trish Stratus, Victoria, Gail Kim, Molly Holly, and Torrie Wilson. 

The sound of the bell ringing as well as the sound of the brothers getting to their feet snatched their attention away from the card. As luck would have it, the Hardys won the match using a combination of Matt's Twist of Fate and Jeff's Swanton Bomb. Randy and Matt took one look at each other and walked out of the room; their match against Jericho was up next.

Both brothers now stood behind the curtain, with Randy hoisting the Intercontinental title proudly on his shoulder. The younger Orton stood close by, staring at the blue and gold belt. Matt was conflicted on the nature of this match; on one hand, he was going to enjoy beating the everloving hell out of Chris Jericho with his brother; on the other, Matt wanted to win back the first piece of gold he had ever earned. He could vividly remember lifting the belt above his head in victory in February at No Way Out.

_"Quit daydreaming and focus on the match at hand, idiot."_ Matt jumped a bit, not expecting Randy's voice to pop in his head. _"You'll get your one-on-one shot at the title soon enough. For now, this is about killing the little bug that's been pestering us for the last month or so. But keep your eyes peeled. There's no doubt in my mind that the Hardys will come out and try to interfere in this match. I think Cena's little 'Chain Gang' is certainly getting bigger than I ever thought it would."_

_"Will do"_, responded Matt affirmatively. _"I don't want this to turn into a three-on-two situation."_

_"Neither do I. The faster we finish this, the better."_

Jericho's theme music ended, and Randy could see the sound guy switching the music over to 'Burn in My Light'. However, Randy's eyes floated over to the monitor, where he saw Jericho slowly walking towards Lilian, who was shrinking away towards a corner. Before either the sound guy or Matt could realize what was going on, Randy dashed out from behind the curtain towards the ring. Y2J could hear rapid footsteps coming down the ramp and scurried out of the ring just as Randy slid in. Matt was still standing behind the curtain, wondering what the hell was going on. 

"Are you okay?", asked Randy hastily, out of breath. "He didn't touch you, did he?"

"I'm fine", Lilian responded timidly. Randy could tell that she was trying to display bravery, but was struggling immensely to keep from breaking down. Randy gave his fiancée a hug and a kiss on the forehead while keeping a fast eye on Jericho, who was circling ringside. Meanwhile, Matt slowly strolled down to the ring scratching his head; he was still a little stunned to see his brother rush out so quickly. 

"It's about time you got down here", stated Randy firmly. "Jericho could have done something to Lilian."

"You must have the eyes of a hawk then, because I never saw anything that indicated something like that was happening. Take a chill pill; we're here now."

"Just keep an eye out for stray Hardys. I'm going after Jericho."

Matt backed onto the apron, not hesitant to argue with Randy on who was going to start the match. Surprisingly, Jericho wasn't backing down either. In fact, Y2J had a giant smirk on his face.

_"That confirms it"_, Randy said. _"He's got the Hardys in his back pocket. Watch our backs."_

The younger brother nodded just as the bell rang. Randy decided to adapt the persona of the hawk Matt had mentioned earlier, keeping his eyes on Jericho at all times. Y2J locked up with RKO, the two men reaching a stalemate in a test of strength. Randy used every single muscle fiber to try to turn the tables, but neither man was gaining any advantage. In an effort to change the pace, Jericho stopped resisting and dropped Randy to the floor with a swift drop toe hold. Randy turned his head to the side to avoid a direct collision with the canvas, but still reeled from the impact on his cheek. Y2J acted quickly, grabbing Randy's arm and locking in a tight armbar. Orton immediately started to scream from the pressure on his elbow and shoulder. On the apron, Matt was trying to keep his attention both on the match and around the arena, looking for any sign of an incoming Jeff and Matt Hardy. Randy tried to shift his weight towards his arm to alleviate the pressure, but to no avail; Randy was in Jericho's complete control. With his brother in trouble of losing the title, Matt decided to throw caution to the wind. He leaped onto the top turnbuckle, took aim at Jericho's neck, and let loose with his Somersault Leg Drop.

Matt successfully connected, breaking the hold, but he incurred the wrath of an angry referee, who forced the younger Orton back to his corner. Chris and Randy were now stunned on the ground, and the crowd started a chant for Randy to get up. Matt outstretched his hand for a tag once he saw his older brother start to stir. However, Randy didn't even attempt to get the tag. In fact, Orton draped an arm over Jericho's chest.

"1, 2, ..."

Y2J easily shoved Randy's arm off, and both men started to get to their feet. Orton quickly leaped into action and caught Jericho with an inverted backbreaker, dropping Chris back to the canvas. Now becoming more of a buzzard than a hawk, Randy circled around Jericho and struck at each extended body part with a strong plant of the foot. Upon circling once, Randy posed to the crowd, getting an overwhelmingly positive response. Getting back to the task at hand, Randy picked Chris up and whipped him to the ropes, attempting a strong-arm clothesline. Jericho ducked, however, and attempted one of his own. Randy had the wherewithal to avoid this one and ducked himself; however, instead of trying another clothesline of his own, Randy stopped, turned around, and caught Jericho in a rotating powerslam.

_"Uh ..."_, thought Matt. _"Are you even going to let me have a turn?"_

_"You're the lookout, remember? I've got this covered."_

_"... jackass. I'm kicking your ass once we get home"_, Matt thought back, angry that he wasn't going to have a shot at the title. Reluctantly, Matt turned his attention back to supervising the arena, when something immediately caught his eye. A pair of hands and rainbow-colored hair were peeking out from behind the curtain, which quickly retracted once Matt put his eyes on it.

_"Watch yourself", _Matt thought to Randy. _"Jeff is behind the curtain looking out here."_

_"Got ya. Don't let them get down here."_

Randy looked back to Jericho, who was still on the ground, and decided to end the match then and there. Randy lowered himself to the ground in anticipation of Jericho getting to his feet. The fans could sense the RKO coming and started to chant for it. As the chant got louder and louder, Jericho was getting closer to a vertical base. However, Randy heard two feet drop to ringside and Orton turned to see his brother sprinting towards Matt and Jeff Hardy, who were advancing down the ramp.

_"Finish the match! Don't worry about me!"_

The older Orton turned back towards Jericho and brought Y2J back down to the canvas with an RKO. After obtaining the three count, Randy quickly looked up to see his brother getting pummeled by both Hardy brothers; somehow a steel chair had gotten into the mix. Matt Hardy was holding the younger Orton in place for Jeff Hardy to attack with the weapon. With his heart racing and his mind only on the safety of his brother, Randy quickly rolled out of the ring, only to hear the sound of steel against skull as he turned to run up the ramp. Jeff managed a quick Twist of Fate on the ramp before both Hardy brothers scrambled back behind the TitanTron. As Randy bent over his brother to inspect for wounds, his hatred towards Matt and Jeff only intensified tenfold. In a fit of rage, Randy picked up the steel chair used to smack Matt in the head and threw it back towards the ring, ironically hitting Jericho, who was stumbling alongside the ring. 

"Hey, Orton!"

Randy looked around to see who was calling his name, then finally settled on the TitanTron, where the images of Matt and Jeff Hardy dwarfed him.

"You two will regret giving us that MKO and RKO earlier tonight", Matt Hardy said. "See, we had a bright idea before we came out and decimated your little brother. So, before we came out there tonight, we proposed to Stone Cold a possible match type for our tag championship match at SummerSlam. He couldn't refuse a blockbuster like this."

"So you go ahead and have yourself and your brother rest up as much as you can", said Jeff Hardy. "Because come SummerSlam, it will be the more experienced set of brothers, the ones who have known each other all our lives, who will become World Tag Team Champions ... in a **Tables, Ladders, and Chairs** match!"

Randy nearly snapped right then and there. Orton wanted to tear both of them apart for making reference to the amount of time that he spent apart from his brother, but the announcement of the TLC match at SummerSlam shook Randy to his core. 

_"Can we actually do this?"_

* * *

_When RAW comes back from commercial, the rest of the matches for the night take place. Can Shawn and Eric manage to take down the leader of the Chain Gang and the Game? What will become of the Batista/Undertaker match? And can Amy and Camilla work together as a cohesive unit to take on five enemy Divas?_

_We're getting closer and closer to SummerSlam! Hope you enjoyed reading this one!_

_SuspiciousInitials _


	72. Threshold

_The rest of Monday night plays out here. Batista first takes on the Undertaker, Amy and Camilla have their five-on-two handicap match, and Shawn and Eric face John and Hunter for the main event of the night. Also, throughout the night's events, Randy and Matt focus on what is going to be the biggest match of their lives at SummerSlam. _

_Read on!_

* * *

Randy was supporting Matt's weight slightly with one of his brother's arms on his shoulder. The younger Orton was awake and conscious with no visible wounds, but Matt found it hard to stand on his own two feet. But after seeing Matt's eyes nearly roll back into his head, Randy sat him down on a nearby table.

"Matt, hey ... snap out of it!", Randy said in a desperate tone of voice. "I don't need you blacking out right now! Get yourself together!"

"When you can ...", Matt eked out, "... when you can take ... take a massive chair shot and ... and immediately recover ... get back to me ... I'd like to know how you did it."

"I'm not trying to be harsh. I'm just ..."

"Being my big brother. I know. I know."

"Did you hear what Hardy said over the TitanTron?", Randy asked.

"I heard his voice, but I ... I couldn't understand anything he was saying."

Randy sighed, realizing the news of the newly declared match type for the tag belts wasn't going to help the pain at all.

"Our match at SummerSlam is now a TLC match." Randy saw the same exact look on Matt's face that characterized his own face as Jeff said those words. "The bastard also took a shot on how they've known each other all their lives and that they're a better functioning team then we are."

The younger Orton looked down to the floor, hesitating before saying something. "I guess he's right.", Matt replied. "They've ... they've tagged together for far longer than we have. We've been tag partners ... what ... five times, maybe? They've been tag team champions more times then we've been tag team partners. How the hell are we supposed to compete with that? We can be as cocky as we want to be, but without the wrestling ability, we're nothing!"

Randy was immediately taken aback by the immediate defeatism his brother was exhibiting. "That chair shot rack your brain or something? I've never seen you give up so easily. Hell, before, _you_ were the one encouraging _me_ to go out and give one hundred and ten percent. Now you're just going to sit there and let the Hardys walk all over us? Seriously ... _the Hardys?_ Undertaker and Kane ... maybe, but the _freakin' Hardys! _Think about what they've done to us and think about what we've done to them. Matt Hardy takes away my girlfriend and Jeff hits you over the head with a steel chair. I've put Jeff through a table. You gave Jeff an FU in front of the whole world at Backlash and nearly knocked Matt Hardy's head off!"

"So we've each pummeled one of them _alone_. There's a difference in a tag team match, Randy! They've got an immense backlog of matches together along with some of the best chemistry in the business!"

"And we don't? It doesn't matter how long they've known each other! We've got a stronger bond then they could ever hope to achieve! You're even forgetting that we have a strategic advantage over them! We can freakin' _communicate telepathically_, you idiot! And with the match being Tables, Ladders, and Chairs, we're going to have to utilize that to the fullest!"

Matt looked up from the cold, grey concrete up to his brother. Randy took comfort in seeing the more positive demeanor of his younger brother; the simplest shift in attitude really changed Matt's outlook on certain things.

"Then we need to practice", muttered Matt. "Every day. Every day up until SummerSlam."

"Now, where do you think we'll find a team that'll be willing to let us beat them up every day up until late August?"

A deep voice from behind the pair said, "I'd be willing." Randy and Matt turned to see Dave Batista walking down the hall towards them. "Of course, I won't make it easy for you two. How's your head, Matt?"

"I've been better, but I'll pull through. I guess your match against Taker is up next?"

"Yeah ...", Batista began solemnly. "I'm beginning to wonder exactly why Stone Cold set this up."

"He knows it'll be one hell of a match", Randy commented. "Besides, you aren't _scared_, are you?"

Dave glared coldly at the older brother, and, lucky for Randy, Matt started to drag him away before Batista could do anything. Dave resumed his walk towards the ring, passing by several RAW superstars, who all gave him a look of impending doom. Upon turning the last corner towards the stage, Batista nearly snapped when he saw Triple H's gaze fixed upon him. Batista shifted his upcoming match to the backburner and immediately stepped straight up to Hunter. Triple H kept on smacking his gum and smiled.

"Looks like you're in for a challenge, Dave. You might also want to watch your back. You never know when something ... _unfortunate_ ... might happen to you."

"You're not the only one with a match tonight. If you interfere in mine, God help me, I'll make sure that Eric and Shawn have an easy time dealing with both your and Cena's unconscious body in the middle of the ring. I wouldn't hesitate to ram your head into the ground again and again and again. You see, you made one hell of a mistake when you turned your back on us, most importantly, Shawn and Eric. I had to learn the hard way. I got my jaw broken and a concussion that nearly ended my career from Matt, and I deserved something like that after what I did to the brothers. You didn't do something of that magnitude, but I'll _make_ sure you get the same level of punishment that I did ... and I _guarantee_ that."

Triple H didn't move a muscle, but Dave could tell that Hunter didn't have a comeback for something like that. Batista slowly walked away, keeping an eye behind him to make sure Hunter didn't pull anything. He could see the entrance to the stage in front of him, apparently covered in darkness. The Undertaker was already on his way down to the ring. As Dave stood behind the curtain waiting for Taker to finish his entrance, he reflected on what Triple H had said to him.

_"He wants me gone ... but why? Does he think I'll steal his thunder? Then he'd take out the Undertaker too; there's no doubt that he'll soon get a shot at the World title after Eric wins it. I mean, I want a shot too, but I'll take it when I earn it. Besides, Eric deserves a lengthy reign as champ. That kid has worked harder than I ever thought he was capable of."_

The sound of Dave's new theme song, "I Walk Alone" by Saliva, interrupted his thoughts and Batista stepped out onto the stage to greet the crowd. After his machine-gun like pyro, Dave walked down to the ring, with his eyes on the Undertaker the whole way down. Dave knew he would have his hands full; the Phenom wasn't a pushover by any means, and Batista would have to keep an eye out for anything Hunter would throw at him. Upon getting into the ring, the Animal walked right up to the Phenom and stared him down, neither man breaking the silence.

That is, until the Deadman rolled his eyes back into his head and brought his thumb slowly across his throat. That was the cue for the bell to ring apparently, which sent each man into a punching frenzy.

Backstage, the brothers had finally made it to the locker room, where Matt put an ice pack over his forehead. Randy left Camilla to take care of his brother and went back towards the corner, where Amy and Eric were sitting. Randy took a long swig of a nearby water bottle and sighed.

"What's wrong with you?", asked Amy. "Matt seems to be okay. He's taken worse hits then just a chair before."

"God, don't remind me about it", Randy declared, wiping the sweat off his brow. "Everything Matt and I have worked towards is going to come to a head at SummerSlam, and I don't know if he's ready yet. While I was helping him back here, he acted like the Hardys had already climbed up the ladder and reached those straps."

"Then try to encourage him", said Eric. "That was one of the attitudes he took while we were in high school athletics together. Every time it seemed like we were behind, he would always assume that the game would always be over and done with. All I had to do was give him a little encouragement, and it would set him straight."

"Well, I tried that. It sort of worked, but I can still tell that he's not completely optimistic about it. It's just ... Matt and I haven't really accomplished anything that I feel we can claim that we've done as brothers. Sure, I've been with him for the last year and a half, and I thank God for that opportunity, but we're not well known for anything yet other than beating the crap out of one another for this Intercontinental title. And to think ... the one thing that can put us on the map ... to beat the Hardy brothers at their own game to win the championships that they've held so many times ... to be the new standard of sibling teams ... that's what I want more than anything in the world."

Eric raised an eyebrow at the older Orton while Amy felt genuinely heart-touched.

"That was beautiful ...", said Amy, a small tear coming from her eye. "Makes me wish I was closer with my sister."

"Makes me wish I had a brother", mentioned Eric.

"Well, you do ... sort of", said an incoming Matthew, who still had the ice pack on his head. The younger Orton, along with his wife, came and sat down with the group. "Even though you're not actually my brother ..."

"Well, we don't know that quite yet."

Everyone turned to Barringer with surprised looks on their faces, save for Matt, who rolled his eyes.

"Hold on, here", Matt interjected. "Let's not assume your crackpot theory is true."

"What crackpot theory?", Randy asked. "How have I not been informed of this?"

"Well, it all started when I told Eric that I think the only reason Randy and I can talk telepathically is because of the strong bond that was created over time after we were reunited."

"Wait! Hold on!", cried out Amy. "Did I hear that right? You two have ESP?"

"Us _three_, actually", Eric answered. "Me, Randy, and Matt. Happened ever since I showed them my tattoos."

While Camilla let Amy in on the story, the three men suddenly crafted a new crackpot theory all at once.

"_You don't think it has anything to do with the tattoos, do you?"_, Eric asked. _"I mean ... I started talking to you guys the day after I got them finished, and you two started talking to each other telepathically once Matt got his finished. It makes sense, doesn't it?"_

"_Nah. That seems more of a crackpot theory than you being our long-lost brother", _Randy commented. _"That's like saying Mike back at the tattoo place has some sort of magic dust in the ink. That's just stupid."_

"_Then maybe __I __**am**__ the third Orton!"_

Randy and Matt both collectively rolled their eyes and punched Eric in the shoulder.

"_As much as I want that to be true, Eric, it isn't"_, Matt said. _"To be quite honest, if you were our brother, you would look a little like us. You're not as built as we are ... no offense ... you have long, orange hair instead of our short, black stuff, you don't have our eye color ... the genetics just don't match up, Eric."_

"_Then why the hell can I talk like this?! I want to know, goddammit!"_

"_Stop getting worked up over this"_, interjected Randy. _"You need to let Amy go so she can prepare with Camilla for their match. Dave is done."_

Eventually, all heads turned towards the monitor, as they all saw the Undertaker and Batista staring each other down at opposite corners of the ring. The group was surprised to see Triple H laid out in the center of the canvas; Hunter made good on his threat earlier and interfered in the match, sledgehammer in hand. Eric surmised Hunter was the victim of both a Batista Bomb and either a Last Ride or a Tombstone Piledriver. Dave still had his gaze fixed on the Undertaker as he walked back up the ramp.

"That's not over by a long shot", mentioned Randy. "Dave'll want to finish that match properly. But for now ...", he said, looking over at his sister-in-law, "... it's time for you and Amy to get out there."

"He's right", said Matt. "Get out there and be safe. Both of you. I don't care how good you two are, five-on-two isn't good odds."

"We'll be fine", stated Amy confidently. Amy put her arm around the Women's champion and the pair walked out of the room as if they were skipping down to the park. Meanwhile, Randy had concocted an idea while sitting on the bench.

"_We're going camping again. You're coming this time, Eric. I'm thinking we can settle some issues we have over there."_

"_Camping again?"_, asked Matt. _"Why?"_

"_I'm thinking we can settle some issues we're having. Going back to the place where it all started might solve some of our problems. We might find out why Eric can talk to us like this and we might find out more about where that blue shirt of yours came from."_

"_Detective work, eh?"_, chimed in Eric. _"Sounds like fun."_

* * *

"The following contest is a five-on-two handicap elimination match!", Lilian announced to the fans. As each of the team of five made their way to the ring, Amy and Camilla stood behind the curtain waiting for their turn to enter.

"Should we talk strategy?", asked Camilla. "Matt was right in what he said earlier. Five on two isn't going to be easy, especially now since we have to pin each of them."

"Hot tags", declared Amy. "One right after the other. We've got to keep them disoriented. You're not sounding as confident as you usually are. Are you intimidated?"

Camilla could see what Amy was trying to do, but she saw no use in lying to her.

"Yeah ... a little. The most difficult match I've had was a fatal four-way, but that pales in comparison to what we're about to go through."

Amy looked on as Camilla turned her head to the nearby monitor. She could hear the younger woman gulp as she saw all five of their opponents in the ring and ready to go.

"Honey, if you're think this is bad, just wait until you get into the ring with me at SummerSlam", Amy said, trying to bolster Camilla's spirits. Amy's music began to play and she stepped beyond the curtain, leaving Camilla behind with a smile on her face.

"_Alright, Amy. I get it. You just want the best out of me out there. And that's what you're gonna get."_

Amy waited at the base of the ramp, smart enough not to climb in the ring with five angry Divas. 'Burn in My Light' filled the speakers, and Amy turned around to see Camilla pose with her championship belt at the top of the stage. Orton walked down the ramp and stood right next to her teammate, belt hoisted on her shoulder.

"You want me to go first?", Amy asked.

"You kiddin' me? I've got this."

Amy smiled, knowing that she had accomplished her goal, and stepped up to the apron, watching Camilla get into the ring to face off against Gail Kim. After the bell rang, Gail charged right at her. Smartly moving out of the way, Camilla watched carefully as Gail rebounded off the ropes and caught her with a spinebuster. Emulating the Animal, Camilla gave the thumbs down and readied for the Batista Bomb.

"Looks like you've got a fan", said Shawn backstage as Camilla lifted Kim up high in the air. Dave actually smiled and cheered Camilla on as Gail was slammed down into the canvas. Orton tagged in Amy, who immediately leaped up to the top turnbuckle. The crowd radiated with sound as Amy flew through the air with her signature Moonsault.

"1, 2, 3!"

"_That was a bit easier than I expected"_, thought Amy as she spun around to see Trish Stratus walk into the ring. This old rivalry was ready to explode once again as the two grappled in the middle of the ring. Trish got the better of Amy and tripped her up, starting to lock in a Sharpshooter. Camilla saw this and inflamed with anger, stepping in the ring and delivering one heck of a kick to the back of Trish's head. The referee forced Camilla back to the apron while the crowd still reeled from the hard slapping sound that came from Camilla's boot slamming against Trish's head. Amy quickly locked in the Camel Clutch once she had the ref's attention, getting an easy submission.

"_Two down, three to go"_, said Camilla, who quickly urged Amy for a tag once Torrie Wilson stepped into the ring. Amy was only happy to oblige, stepping out to the apron as Camilla speared Wilson down to the canvas. Camilla didn't want to wrestle this Diva; she wanted to tear her limb from limb. She still hadn't forgotten the pain she had caused Randy when Torrie left him for Matt Hardy. The referee literally had to tear Camilla off a now bloodied and crying Torrie Wilson. Even Amy was a bit shocked when she saw Torrie's condition. Camilla finally backed off and waited for Torrie to get to her feet before planting Wilson's head into the the ground with an MKO. Her husband cheered her on backstage as Camilla went for the cover.

"1, 2, 3!"

Camilla tagged in Amy as the numbers were now even. Both Molly Holly and Victoria seemed hesitant to step into the ring as Amy beckoned for someone to keep the match going. Neither Diva wanted to get in, prompting Camilla to drop off the apron, run around ringside, and shove both women in at the same time. Amy dragged Victoria to the center of the ring as did Camilla to Molly Holly. Both women climbed up to the top rope on opposite sides of the ring, Amy preparing another Moonsault, and Camilla about to execute a Somersault Leg Drop.

"I've got to stop her from stealing my moves", Matt said out loud as Amy and Camilla flew through the air and hit their targets. Both Victoria and Molly were covered by Amy and Camilla respectively. The ref looked at both situations, shrugged, and counted to three twice.

"Here are your winners", Lilian proudly announced, "Lita and the WWE Women's Champion, Camilla Orton!"

Camilla was given her title belt, but Amy snatched it away quickly and looked at it for herself. Amy positioned the belt around her waist, and smiled, liking the look of the belt she had held on many occasions before. The tension in the air was eased as Amy gave back the belt to Camilla.

"You're not going to put your hands on that title for a long time, Amy."

"I'm going to do at SummerSlam like I just did now: snatch that belt right out of your hands."

* * *

_**Its time to play the Game...**_

A dazed but ready Triple H walked on down to the ring, still feeling the effects of the earlier attack from Batista and the Undertaker. Cena was already standing in his corner; earlier, the TitanTron had shown both Hardys, Chris Jericho, and an ailing Torrie Wilson in the same room watching the monitor. Everyone was now aware of the growth of the Chain Gang, which infuriated both brothers backstage.

"All they have in common are common enemies", commented Matt.

"Yeah ... _us_. They don't have any bond other than that, and that's what makes us better. We have more meaning behind our team then they could ever hope to have."

"I can't wait until Survivor Series", commented Dave. "This would make one hell of a five-on-five elimination match."

"Make sure you tell Austin that", Amy replied. "He won't forget to put that on the card."

_**Are you ready?**_

The gang backstage as well as the WWE fans in the crowd all responded with a yell as Shawn Michaels and Eric Barringer walked out onto the stage. It seemed as everyone in the building was holding a green DX sign as Shawn and Eric both posed to green pyro shooting through the air in the shape of an 'X'. Triple H was livid at Eric seemingly replacing where he himself was when D-Generation X was in its early years. Barringer saw this and charged towards the ring, sliding in and chopping down the Game by aiming for the knees. Cena looked to take aim and launch an attack against Eric, but was scared out of the ring by an incoming Sweet Chin Music from a quick HBK.

As the bell rang, Shawn retreated to the corner as Eric looked to have his attack under control. Barringer continued to focus on Triple H's knee, stomping repeatedly on its back. With Cena now back on the apron, Eric bodyslammed Hunter down to the canvas and tagged in Shawn. Instead of getting back on the apron, however, Eric climbed to the top turnbuckle along with Michaels. Both men flew through the air, HBK hitting his signature elbow drop and Barringer hitting a leg drop on Triple H's knee.

Shawn could easily start to feel it; he could feel the energy flowing from the crowd and through his veins. Even though it was still early in the match, Shawn wanted to let loose some Sweet Chin Music. HBK began the stomping, which prompted Cena to charge into the ring. Unfortunately for him, Michaels merely switched his target.

_SMACK!_

Cena fell down to the canvas and rolled out of the ring, but Triple H was back on his feet. HBK walked right into a raucous spinebuster from the Game. Hunter picked Shawn up off the ground, despite holding his sore knee, and whipped the Heartbreak Kid to the ropes. However, in the intensity of the moment, Hunter used his bad knee in lifting it Shawn's chin. The Game fell to the ground along with his former best friend, and each of their partners reached out for a tag. Shawn was the first to his feet, and brought Triple H back to his corner, preventing a tag to John. HBK rammed the back of his upper arm across the side of Hunter's head a few times before tagging Barringer back into the match.

Eric pointed over to a recovering Cena standing in his corner. John slowly began climb through the apron, momentarily distracting the referee. However, it was time enough for Hunter to strike a low blow against the younger DX member, sending Eric to the ground. Triple H made his way over to his corner, where Cena obtained the tag. John immediately whipped Eric to the ropes and hit a shoulder block, repeating the process once more. Barringer got to his feet, only to walk right into a spinout powerbomb from the Doctor of Thuganomics. With John giving Shawn the evil eye, he signaled for and executed the Five Knuckle Shuffle. HBK didn't have a chance to retaliate though, as Hunter had run over to the other side of the ring and pulled Shawn off the apron. While HBK and HHH brawled on the outside, John locked in the STFU. Eric roared out in pain, feeling his neck bend backwards at an incredible angle.

"_Roll over on your stomach!"_, Randy communicated to Eric. _"Don't tap out!"_

"_I'm not ... I'm not going to tap out. I'll pass out before I submit to this bastard!"_

"_Use your hands and push yourself over!"_, Matt yelled. _"If anything, power yourself out of it! Act like it's Dave sitting on your back and you're doing push-ups!"_

Eric tried his best, but his strength was already being sapped away. Cena reared back as far as he could, satisfied that he could see Barringer's arms slowly stopping to struggle. Shawn tried to dive back into the ring, but Hunter restrained him, throwing HBK shoulder first into a nearby set of steel steps.

Randy and Matt dashed out of the locker room, but it was too late. The referee had rung the bell after letting Eric's arm fall three times.

"Here are your winners, by submission, Triple H and John Cena!"

John and Hunter quickly dashed out of the ring and through the crowd once they saw the brothers running down to the ring. Randy helped Shawn to his feet while Matt took care of the unconscious Barringer.

"_Don't let this get you down", _Matt thought, even though he knew Eric couldn't hear him at the moment. _"If it weren't for Hunter, you would have won easily. I know that."_

* * *

_Randy, Matt, and Eric all go camping, where the three young men talk about SummerSlam, their telepathic link, and their futures. Then, with two weeks away from the pay-per-view, the General Manager lets HBK and HHH pick each other's poison. Also, a main event six-man tag team match pits Eric and the Ortons against John and the Hardys. _

_Hope you enjoyed this one!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	73. Condemned

_First of all, I have to get something off my chest. I thought ... __**for sure**__ ... that Randy would lose the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XXIV._

_I guess I was wrong. And how __**happy**__ I am that I was wrong._

_Anyway, the telepathic trio goes on a camping trip that turns out to be one to remember. Then, at the beginning of the next RAW in Tampa, Florida, we learn the results of Shawn and Hunter picking each other's poison._

_Here we go!_

* * *

"_Goddammit"_, Eric thought to himself in frustration, _"it's been way too damn long since I've put a tent together."_

It was early Thursday afternoon, and the three 'brothers' had made their way out to the same site that Randy and Matt set up camp some weeks previously. Both Ortons were busy trying to catch an early meal, splashing around in the water to get a grasp on one of the huge catfish in the lake.

"Why don't you two quit goofing off and come over here and help me?!", Barringer screamed. However, his pleas fell on deaf ears ... or rather, ears that were underwater. Randy and Matt seemed to have focused on one huge catfish and had it cornered in a small section of water with a small exit. Eric rolled his eyes and focused again on the situation in front of him.

"_Note to self ... never come on one of these damn camping trips again."_

The sound of his cell phone rang out from his backpack, and Eric rushed quickly over to answer it. The brothers made Eric swear to leave it at home and enjoy the elements of the outdoors, but Barringer couldn't handle not having a line of communication with his girlfriend, Amy. As he fumbled to hit the 'accept' button, Eric began to think how serious this relationship was getting.

"Hey, Amy", Eric said, eager to hear her voice. "How ya been? Is everything okay? Camilla, Lilian, Shawn, and Dave aren't getting on your nerves too much, are they? Have you missed me?"

"_Jeez, Eric"_, Amy laughed, _"by the sound of your voice, you would think we hadn't seen each other in years. I'm okay. I really am. And everyone else here is fine too; no problems. Are the boys giving you a hard time out there? It's been a while since you've gone on a camping trip."_

"Ugh ... I'm trying to put together this damn tent and I'm not having any luck whatsoever. It doesn't help that Randy and Matt are making fools of themselves trying to catch a catfish with their bare hands."

"_You should forget about the tent, show the boys up, and catch a fish of your own. Get a leg up on them, you know."_

"Oh, come on ...", Eric stated hesitantly, "... I don't have to do that. Besides, I think they have it under control. My job, anyway, is to put together this stupid tent together. I have my job; they have theirs."

"_Honey, if there was something I could fault you at, it would be that you're not too bright. Their actually having fun. You, on the other hand, aren't having that great of a time. Aren't you smarter than that?"_

"Wait ... did you just call me dumb?"

Eric heard a long sigh on the other end of the line. _"Listen. There should be some sort of instructions that came with the tent. You looked for that, right?"_

"Instructions? Really?!", Eric said, happy to see a possibility that his task might be nearing its end.

"_I wish you were here at home so I can slap some sense into you. Then ... maybe something else ..."_, Amy said suggestively. _"You better hurry home after you boys are done so I can have you."_

A grin took over Eric's face, making him look like the Cheshire Cat. After saying a short goodbye and promising Amy a good night once he got back to the house, Eric started to dig around for the instructions to putting the tent together. A triumphant pair of yells came from behind Eric, and Barringer spun around to see a successful pair of brothers, each carrying a large catfish in their hands. Eric suddenly remembered that he was still holding the cell phone. Barringer quickly tossed the phone into the forest and looked back towards Randy and Matt, who had dropped their fish at the base of the fire.

"Well ...", Randy said, out of breath and covered in water, "... looks like you got some stuff done. Did the fire and almost done with the tent. Maybe you aren't such a dunce after all."

"Real funny, Randy", shot back Eric. "I bet a superkick to your face would be just as hilarious!"

Matt had a small chuckle. "It _would_ be, actually. I'd pay to see that happen."

Randy quickly punched his brother in the shoulder, nearly knocking Matt off his feet. The two brothers then engaged in a small scuffle, allowing Eric to go back to finishing off the tent after rolling his eyes. Once Barringer had the whole thing complete, he looked back to see Matt on his knees, weakening from a sleeper hold. Feeling a little mischievous himself, Barringer walked up to the brothers and started to laugh. Randy looked up at the younger DX member, only to jump back after seeing Eric's foot coming towards his face. Matt also fell back, thankful that Randy's arm wasn't squeezing the life out of him anymore.

"Oh, come on, Randy!", Eric said among his laughter, "you should have let me kick you! You would have been knocked out by the next World Heavyweight Champion! That would have been an honor for you!"

"Then you'll consider it an honor to be tossed in the lake by the future World Tag Team Champions!", Matt exclaimed.

Before Eric realized what was going on, the brothers tossed him over their shoulder and walked confidently towards the water. No matter how hard Barringer thrashed around to free himself, Randy and Matt kept a strong grasp on the eighteen year old number one contender. Eric screamed as he tossed through the air and into the drink. The brothers started to laugh at the same intensity that Eric was exhibiting just a moment ago as Barringer came up to the surface. Eric gave a short sneer to the brothers and looked down as something brushed by his leg. Looking down through the clear water, Barringer saw a catfish seemingly look up at him.

Eric still maintains to this day that the catfish smiled and laughed.

* * *

As the afternoon turned into evening, the three men started to make s'mores in front of the fire. Randy had to keep the bag of marshmallows away from his brother to ensure that Matt didn't prematurely end the night's festivities.

"So ...", began Randy. "... have you come up with any more crackpot theories as to why we can communicate the way we can? We weren't abducted by aliens when we were little kids and given little chips in our heads, were we? Or ... or are we part of some hidden magic world that can communicate with just their minds?"

"Like Harry Potter?", asked Matt, mouth full of chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallow.

"... yes, Matt. Like Harry Potter", Randy answered sarcastically. "Immature piece of sh... anyway, getting back to my point here. There's absolutely no plausible explanation for this."

"Ok ... I'll give you that", answered Eric. "There _is_ no plausible explanation for this. But that's exactly my point! What we can do is extraordinary! It just bugs the _hell_ out of me that you two accept this like it was something ordinary!"

"Well ... yeah, you're right", interjected Matt. "It's kinda funny how we just live our lives not wondering how we can talk like this. But ... but I guess it's just a natural part of our daily routine. Its like we were born to talk like this."

"Okay. Hold that thought. You two were _born_ to talk like this. That's your little theory. You two are brothers. If you two and _only_ you two could talk telepathically, I might be able to buy that. But how the _hell_ does that explain me? In my mind, the only logical explanation is that I'm the third Orton! I'm the third member of a trio of third generation WWE Superstars!"

"Eric, I've already gone through this with you before", said Matt. "You don't have the same body type as us. You don't have the same eye or hair color as us. You don't have the same deep voice as us. There's just so many physical differences between us that there's no chance in hell that you're our brother!"

Barringer took a deep breath upon reaching another road block in the mystery. "Well ... then the tattoos! They're the only concrete explanation left! We all have the same exact ones! There has to be some kind of a link!"

Matt grabbed the bag of marshmallows from his brother and, instead of stuffing his face with them, grabbed a handful and stuffed Eric's mouth full to stop him from talking.

"If you want", Matt suggested while Eric tried to get through all the white fluff in his mouth. "we'll go to Mike's next week and ask him about this. To settle this once and for all. Happy about that?"

Barringer still couldn't talk, so he only nodded his head. He spit out the remaining marshmallows and shifted the focus of the conversation, satisfied with the progress on his theory.

"Did you bring another tent?", Eric asked Randy. "I didn't see one in the trunk of the car, and it's gonna be a close fit with all three of us in there."

"Yeah ... there should have been two. Are you completely sure there was only one?"

"Dude, I searched the car up and down for that second tent. No dice."

Randy rolled his eyes and put his hands in his head. Matt sat there with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Well ... we're not getting any sleep tonight."

"Damn right, _you_ aren't", interjected Randy, getting to his feet and looking down at his brother. "Your ass is sleeping outside."

"Since when did you become the big cheese, huh? I oughta kick your ass for this!" Matt quickly sprung to his feet and stared his brother down, butting foreheads together, and it quickly looked like that another sibling fight would ensue.

Not if Eric had anything to do with it.

_SMACK!_

Both Randy and Matt stared blankly at each other as they both fell to the ground in front of the fire. Eric had unleashed his own version of Sweet Chin Music, simultaneously hitting both brothers and stopping the show before it could get started.

"_I_ put up the damn tent. _I_ get to sleep in it."

As Eric unzipped the tent and started to climb in, he heard the ringtone of his phone faintly sounding off in the distance. Even though the brothers were knocked out on the ground, Barringer quickly ran out into the dark forest and searched around for his phone. While running around frantically trying to retrieve his phone, a large stump managed to finds its way into the path of his foot. Eric yelped in pain and hopped around on his good foot, easily tripping and falling flat on his back. In his field of view, Eric could see the glow from his phone and started to crawl over to it.

But a series of twigs snapping caught his attention. Eric grabbed the cell phone and shone what little light he had towards the sound. A large shadow threw something at Eric before stepping back behind a tree. Barringer stood straight up and ran as fast as he could back to the fire. Taking a closer look at the thrown object that landed at his feet, Eric realized what it was.

"My ... my shoes", he said outloud, holding the prized shoes he had lost as a kid. "I haven't seen these in years ..."

But a sinking feeling overcame Eric. He started to shake, dropping the shoes and falling to his knees.

"It ... it ... he ... **oh my freakin' god** ..."

Barringer turned and ran to the still lifeless Ortons and tried to re-animate them, slapping their faces around and finally resorting to dumping cold water on their faces to wake them up.

"We have to get out of here! We have to get out of here _**now**_! _He's_ here! We have to get everything in the car and leave!"

"What? ...", muttered a recovering Randy. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"The man who tried to take me when I was a kid. He stole all our stuff and almost kidnapped me! I went to go find my ... my ... my cell phone and he threw this pair of shoes that was in the bag that ..."

"Wait, wait, wait!", stuttered Matt. "_Almost kidnapped you?_ Since when were you almost kidnapped?"

"It happened to me when I was a kid. I managed to repress the memories all my life, but this brought them all back at once. We need to get out of here now!"

Randy and Matt took one look at each other, and it was decided. The tent was taken down, the remaining catfish put on ice, the ice chests loaded in the car, and the fire put out. The lights of the car turned on and all three men sped off back towards the Orton household.

"Wait ...", Matt said as Randy pulled onto the highway. "You have to elaborate on this. I've never seen you this scared before in my life. What the hell happened to you back there?"

"Don't make me tell you ..._ please_", Eric said in a crying whimper. "I don't want those memories to flood my mind ever again. That was the worst moment of my life. I spent a whole lifetime trying to erase that moment from my memory bank, and all that work has been undone! Are you two _aren't_ reading my goddamn thoughts. I won't let you."

It hadn't occurred to the brothers to attempt such a feat until Eric had mentioned it. Sure enough, neither Randy nor Matt could get inside Barringer's head. Still spooked from the whole ordeal, Randy pulled the car over, put it in park, and turned it off. Something was bugging him.

"What the hell are you _doing?!_", shouted a frantic Eric. "He could be chasing us right now! We need to get the hell out of here?"

"Did you see what he looked like, Eric?", Randy asked in a calm, steadfast manner, which unnerved Matt, especially in this type of situation.

"No ... well ... yeah. Yeah, I did! But all I saw was a really tall figure duck behind a tree after he threw my shoes at me. I saw his hair too! Black ... messy ... sort of looked like a clown wig, except all one color."

Matt was now freaking out at the same level as Eric. He was witnessing his brother's grip on the steering wheel tighten. Randy's body started to shake violently, and Matt could sense one of his brother's outbursts of anger coming. The older Orton used every last drop of self-restraint to keep himself from exploding; every time something like this happened, Randy either hurt himself or one of the people around him. Randy regretted giving Matt a nasty black eye in one instance, and almost broke his hand punching a hole through the wall.

"That man ...", said Randy through gritted teeth, "... is the very same man that took Matt from me seventeen years ago."

Randy's words echoed back and forth in Matt's mind, but he couldn't believe the message he was getting.

"_The blue shirt ... Eric's shoes ... that could be just a concidence, but ..."_

"_**I'M GOING TO KILL THAT SON OF A BITCH!"**_

Randy's sudden eruption made both Matt and Eric jump, hitting their heads on the roof of the car. Randy made a move towards turning the car back on, but Eric was quicker, snatching the keys out from the ignition. Randy slowly turned his head towards Eric, scaring Barringer into tossing the keys to Matt.

"Wait ... hold on! How are you so certain? Where did you come to this conclusion? Did you see him when Matt got kidnapped?"

"Not when it actually happened." Randy was sounding like he was possessed now, which nearly made Matt and Eric jump out of the car. "I remember seeing someone matching that description at the opposite end of the lake that afternoon before we went to sleep. It rubbed me the wrong way; I even pointed the man out to Mom and Pop. They didn't listen."

"Hold on ...", Matt interjected, trying to be brave, "... one ... one thing still doesn't fit. All what happened to me happened here in Missouri. You can't tell me the same man somehow made his way all the way south to Texas, can you?"

Eric let out an audible gulp. "I ... I haven't told you everything yet. My incident happened here in Missouri too. My family took me to visit my grandfather in Kansas City, but we came to this exact spot to go camping. That's when it happened. The only reason Mom and Dad let me train with your dad in St. Louis is because they knew I had family close by."

Matt sat back in the seat of his chair, no easier than he had been before.

"Give me the keys, Matt", Randy said coldly; his words hitting his brother like a sack of bricks. "We're driving back to the camp site, and I'm going to break this **bastard low life**_** in half!**_"

"No."

Randy cocked his head sideways while looking back at his younger brother.

"No. I'm not letting you. I'm driving us back home. There's no way we're going back there tonight."

"Didn't you hear a word I said? Give ... me ... the ... damn ... **keys**."

"I said ... no. You would risk getting us hurt, Randy? Is that it? That's the last thing we need right now, especially so close to SummerSlam."

"Are you kidding me?", Randy blasted back. "It'll be three-on-one. We'll have him within an_ inch_ of his life in no time for what he did to you and Eric!"

"Randy, he could be armed!", Matt said in desperation, trying to regain control of his brother's emotions. "He could have a knife ... or ... or even worse, a gun! Those weapons can't quite compare to something we use, Randy! Those aren't steel chairs or trash cans! One of us could _die_, Randy! Like Eric urged us to earlier, let's get the hell out of here. If you want to come back and kick that guy's ass at a later date, I'm all fine with that. Believe me, I want to take a couple of shots at this bastard myself! But ... but we need a _plan_! For now, let's go home and go back to our regular lives, maybe even finish camping in the backyard. When we're ready, we'll come back and tear the bastard limb from limb ... okay? You're scaring the both of us!"

Eric certainly nodded his head in agreement. Randy looked down at the floorboards of the car and took a deep breath.

"... get up here then ..."

After a moment's reprieve, Randy switched places with his brother, getting in the back seat as Matt dropped himself behind the wheel. Matt breathed easily, turned on the car, and pulled back onto the highway, heading towards the house. For now, in Randy's mind, revenge would have to wait.

* * *

The rest of the week proved to be a hard one from Randy to endure. Every moment of every day Randy could only think of getting his hands on the man who took Matt away from him. Upon getting home that night, the three men agreed to keep their situation hidden from their colleagues and significant others. For Matt and Eric, this was relatively easy. But for Randy, he had an extremely difficult time keeping his emotions in. Lilian sensed Randy's distress almost immediately. Even Batista noticed Randy's heightened aggression in the practice sessions to prepare for the TLC match at SummerSlam. When Monday finally rolled around, Randy relished in the fact that he would be able to completely unleash his bottled up anger.

In the corner of the locker room, Shawn and Dave were discussing something, with Batista apparently happy about the outcome. Amy and Camilla were loafing around, watching a small portable television after seeing that they had the week off. Randy, Eric, and Matt were all geared up, ready for the night's main event against Cena and both Hardys.

"I'm worried about you tonight", Matt said timidly to his brother. "You haven't been the same since. Lilian's worried about you. _Everyone's_ worried about you."

"I'm perfectly fine. You want me to focus tonight? I'm going to put all my anger ... all my frustration ... put _everything_ in the ring. Once I tear apart whoever comes my way, I'll go back to the man I was before. I guarantee you that."

"I just wish it didn't take physically taking someone apart. I know we have anger problems, but ... jeez."

"I think you'll find that, after we put away that soulless bastard, a lot of my inner demons will go away."

The door to the locker room burst open, making everyone jump. Steve Austin strolled into the room as nonchalantly as ever.

"Ortons ... Barringer ... I reckon you already know what you're in for tonight. HBK, Triple H has handpicked your opponent tonight, as you know."

"As have I, Stone Cold."

"Well?", Austin asked expectedly. "Who the hell is it?"

Batista stood up, and that's all Austin needed.

"Then know that you're up against Taker tonight, Shawn. Also, that match you asked me about before. That one year repeat? You've got it. It will be a Street Fight between you and Triple H at SummerSlam."

Shawn pumped his fist in the air, giving everyone in the room a little positive boost.

"As for you Dave, you've got a match against the Deadman for the pay-per-view. Winner is the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship."

The first thing Dave did was meet eyes with Eric.

"I can see it now", Dave said after Stone Cold left the room. "Eric Barringer vs. Batista at Unforgiven for the World Heavyweight Championship."

"We'll see about that", Eric said, getting up and going toe to toe with Dave. "You've got to go through Taker and I've got to go through Cena. But when that moment comes, Batista ... I'm going to give you one hell of a match."

"I expect nothing more from you, Barringer."

* * *

_When we return, Dave, Shawn, Randy, Eric, and Matt all try to get some momentum rolling towards SummerSlam. Then, once back in St. Louis, Eric thinks he's solved the mystery of why the three men are linked telepathically. _

_That was a hard one for me to write. Hope you enjoyed it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	74. Onslaught

_While Randy, Matt, and Eric wait for their match, Eric tries to convince the younger Orton to support his brother's bid for revenge. Then, that same trio goes after their opponents for SummerSlam. Who will come out on top?_

_Here we go!_

* * *

Eric and Matt could still see the look of distress and anger on Randy's face as the night progressed. Every once in a while, the boys could see Randy's face twitch, and it was almost always a deep shade of red. Matt had considered letting his brother take a few shots at him to blow off some steam, but Eric quickly shot down that idea.

"_We don't need to sacrifice our own well-being right now. Randy could go overboard and really hurt you."_

"_I'd rather him hurt me than let him take his anger to an extreme degree against one of the three of them tonight. Didn't you see the look on his face that night last week in the car? Randy looked like he wanted to __**kill**__. I don't care how much we hate Cena or the Hardys; I don't want any of them to die. As for now, I think Randy needs to be taken down a couple of notches. Do you really want to see my brother seriously injure someone out there tonight?"_

"_He won't do that. He knows to keep his anger out of the ring. Right now, it's directed at that man I saw in the forest, not anyone else. Like he said earlier, once he gets his hands on him, all his demons will disappear! I really think we need to take care of this as soon as possible so that I can focus on Cena and you two can focus on the Hardys. You've got to admit; Randy's been distracted and everyone has been noticing that. Get rid of this obstacle in his path and he can look towards your goal. Hell, even __**I'm**__ distracted now because I want to get my hands on this bastard! Do it for me. Do it for your brother."_

"_Are ... are you nuts? We can't afford to put our lives on the line against a madman! That's ..."_

"_Dude, you're missing the damn point. We're going to be three strong. We can bring whatever the hell we want to fight this guy."_

"_Overreacting, huh? Eric, this man changed my life and nearly changed yours! Who knows what could have happened?! We are very lucky to be sitting here right now. He's apparently skilled at this; he succeeded once and he almost succeeded getting you."_

"_Then we need to get out there and get this guy! We all want revenge. I want to crack this guy in half just as bad as Randy does! If __**you**__ don't want to come, that's just fine and dandy. I'm going to talk to your brother and it won't take two seconds to convince him to come with me back to that goddamn campsite!"_

Matt felt like the place in his body that contained his heart was now vacant. He knew Eric was right; Randy wouldn't hesitate to jump in the car to get back to the campsite and there was nothing he could do about it.

"_If you're so worried about our well-being, Matt, you'll come with us tomorrow. I'm going to be __**damn**__ sure that nothing happens to either me or Randy. Matt ... think of how this will help me and your brother. Lilian's told me how Randy talks in his sleep. She can hear him mumble about when it happened, and he does it nearly three times a week. He even wakes up in a cold sweat sometimes. Even though Randy has his baby brother back, the emotional shock of what happened to you two all those years ago is still there. Going back and getting justice ... __**that**__ will remove that shock."_

" _... how ... how do you know this and not me?"_, Matt asked. _"Why the hell hasn't Randy told me?"_

"_Your brother keeps this a secret from you because he doesn't want you to worry about him. I've been able to pick up on it because he hasn't thought about keeping it a secret from me. Matt, if there's anything that I've learned from being able to read you guys is that you two are some of the most emotionally intense people I've ever met. Whenever either of you are sad or angry, I can really feel that negative emotion. The emotions I get from your brother sometimes ... they __**disturb**__ me. We have a responsibility to get rid of that."_

Matt's eyes lowered themselves to the concrete, then over at his brother, who was watching the HBK/Taker match intensely. As if on cue, Randy turned and met eyes with his younger brother. Matt hesitated at first, but finally came to a conclusion after seeing his brother's eyes quiver.

"_You better be ready tomorrow. You've done everything for me and its high time I do something for you. I think its time to end this. Eric's right. We're not going to let anything happen to one another. We're going back there and getting our hands on this man."_

Randy didn't respond verbally or with thought in return. Rather, a long, almost devilish smile developed on the older brother's face. Both Eric and Matt were overwhelmed by an immensely positive energy radiating from Randy.

"_It's settled then"_, Randy thought. _"We leave in the morning."_

The sound of the bell ringing echoed from the monitor, and everyone looked to see Hunter backpedaling up the ramp, sledgehammer in hand. The camera panned back to the ring, where both Shawn and the Deadman were prone on the canvas. Naturally, Eric was livid and he got up to chase down Triple H. Batista sprung to his feet to stop the young man, however.

"_I've_ got Hunter. Just let me worry about it. You've got bigger fish to fry tonight."

Eric's heart rate continued at its accelerated pace despite Dave's words. Barringer still considered Shawn a father figure; sometimes Eric felt like he was closer to the Heartbreak Kid that to his own father. After Triple H betrayed the family, Eric had harbored an intense hatred towards the Game. Seeing his 2nd most hated person on the roster retreat in cowardice after a sneak attack on Shawn pissed him off to no visible end.

"_Let it go"_, advised Randy. _"Use that energy towards our match tonight."_

"_Heh ... ironic that you're telling me this now, huh?"_

Randy also let out a little chuckle and pulled both his brother and Eric outside the locker room to do a set of warm up exercises in preparation for the six-man tag match.

"I've been thinking", Barringer said while stretching his quadriceps, finally cooled down after his initial flare up concerning Hunter. "... about our 'link' lately."

"Again?", blurted out Matt, getting up from a set of bodyweight squats. "Why now? And why can't you just let it be? It's not like its a matter of national security or anything."

"Well, if you would let me talk, you could see that I'm not going to spurt out just another random theory. I was flipping through the channels one day at the house and I saw this special on siblings that claimed that they had some sort of ESP."

"Oh great", interjected Randy. "Now you've _really_ gone off the deep end. Using TV for your little crackpot theories? Yeah ... _right_."

"Will you shut up and let me finish?!", Eric snapped back. "This one at least has some substance behind it."

Randy and Matt collectively rolled their eyes and went back to stretching.

"Now ... it was a story about a brother and a sister who both went through some intense child abuse when they were about two or three years old. From that date on, they felt like they had some sort of connection. They could tell when they were near each other and stuff like that. In one instance when they were in their early twenties, the sister had tripped and broken her ankle at a restaurant. The brother sensed it and drove to go get her from emotion alone."

Matt's eyebrows shot up, as if he knew where Eric was going with this. Randy, however, still wasn't convinced.

"What does this have to do with us?", asked Randy impatiently.

"I'm getting there! Anyway, some doctor or behavior specialist ... I don't really remember ... said that its not uncommon for siblings or close friends to develop something like this after going through some sort of trauma together."

"So you're saying that our telepathy is a result of what that lunatic did to us all those years ago?", conjectured Matt. "I _guess_ that makes sense."

Even Randy seemed halfway cognizant of Eric's explanation. "At least you don't think its the tattoos anymore."

The locker room door burst open behind them and Batista emerged, fully clad in ring gear.

"You better get in there and watch me soften Hunter up for Shawn and SummerSlam. It'll serve the coward right", Dave quietly said before walking towards the ring. Eric nodded happily in agreement and yelled down the hall in response.

"Let Taker know that he's got one hell of a hill to climb at the pay-per-view!"

Batista smiled, looked behind him, and gave Eric a thumbs up.

* * *

Batista made his way down to the ring after his machine gun-like pyro, nodding at Lilian before posing to the crowd on the turnbuckle. Dave was eager to get his hands on Hunter; Batista always appreciated an opportunity to bash his former friend's face in. However, Dave was more concerned with the degree of the message he would send to the Undertaker at SummerSlam. Batista had the utmost respect for Eric after all his hard work, and nothing would please Dave more than to face the young man for the World Heavyweight Championship. Batista remembered the rivalry he had with Barringer at the very beginning of Eric's career, and this match would be a fitting conclusion. Dave knew that Barringer would get through Cena at SummerSlam; it was now just a matter of plowing through the Deadman.

"_**It's time to play the game..."**_

Dave watched warily as Hunter walked down the ramp, sledgehammer in hand. It was clear that Triple H still was on his power trip; Hunter had one hell of a grin on his face. Dave didn't back down, however, as the referee struggled to yank the weapon out of Triple H's hands. Eye contact was fixed between the two men, even as Hunter reluctantly let go of the hammer. The ref rang the bell, yet instead of the two opponents grappling up in the middle of the ring, Hunter and Dave stayed at their respective corners.

"_You don't even deserve to be in the same ring as us"_, thought Batista to himself. _"I don't need to say that. Shawn will give you what you deserve at SummerSlam. But for now ... you're __**mine**__."_

Batista, like a crazed bull in Spain, charged directly at Triple H, aiming for a spear. Hunter anticipated this, however, and stepped to the side, sending Batista's shoulder straight into the ring post. The Cerebral Assassin picked Batista from the corner and started to deliver hard fists to the back of Dave's shoulder, eliciting screams full of pain from the Animal. Hunter assumed the suplex position and lifted Dave up in the air. Triple H kept Batista suspended in the air for quite some time, letting the blood rush to Dave's head. Hunter shifted his grip ever so slightly before going almost straight down to the ground, ramming Dave's shoulder straight into the canvas.

The brothers backstage winced, knowing how intense shoulder pain could be. Batista managed to get to his feet, but holding his shoulder. Not knowing whether or not his shoulder was separated, Dave attempted a clothesline with his good arm. Hunter ducked, sending Dave to the ropes. Hunter bent over, expecting to flip Batista over with a back body drop. Dave managed to stop himself and deliver a stiff kick to the Game's chest. Batista took advantage and quickly executed an earth-shattering spinebuster, shaking the top rope violently afterwards. The crowd's volume rapidly increased, sensing that a Batista Bomb was soon on the way.

Backstage, the boys were skeptical; they didn't know whether or not Dave would be able to pull it off. Triple H was put in the proper position and Batista started to lift him up. However, Batista's shoulder panged with pain, making Dave drop Hunter back down to the canvas; ironically, Triple H fell down directly on his shoulder. Batista fell down to nurse his injury and the referee started a ten-count.

As the ref's count increased, Hunter slowly climbed to his feet using the ropes. The crowd started a chant for the Animal as Triple H picked Dave up and put him in the Pedigree position. But before Triple H could finish the job, Dave slipped his head out and delivered another spinebuster. Without wasting time and on a rush of adrenaline, Batista lifted Hunter up and slammed the Game down with a Batista Bomb.

"1, 2, 3!"

"Here is your winner ...", Lilian shouted to the crowd.

**GONG!**

But before she could finish, the whole arena was engulfed in darkness. After a few moments, the lights turned back on, and the Undertaker was standing in the middle of the ring. Triple H had disappeared, and the Deadman did nothing but stare the Animal down. The Undertaker rolled his eyes in the back of his head and drug his thumb across his throat in his signature taunt.

But what caught Batista's attention wasn't the Undertaker. Triple H had crawled back into the ring, this time, with the sledgehammer in hand. Taker saw Batista's eyes dart behind him and twisted around, grabbing the hammer before Hunter had a chance to strike. The Deadman wrapped a hand around Hunter's neck and chokeslammed the Game down to the canvas.

Batista took the opportunity.

As Taker turned back around, Batista backed up and let loose a vicious spear, knocking the Deadman to the mat. Dave got up and raised an arm in the air, letting out a animal-like roar to the fans.

"_Come SummerSlam ... you lose."_

* * *

After the match, Batista went straight for the trainer's room, holding his shoulder each step of the way. Triple H was never a pushover, and Hunter nearly got the best of Dave by exploiting a single, stupid mistake that could have been easily avoided. Batista wouldn't call it luck, but he was very fortunate to have been able to turn the tides in the way that he did.

"Dave! Hey, Dave! You alright?"

Batista turned around to see the brothers bounding after him.

"I'm fine", the Animal answered. "I'm just getting an icepack. Nothing more."

"Awfully defensive, aren't we?", asked Randy. "Your shoulder could've popped out, you know."

"But it didn't", Dave said in a slightly bitter tone. "I think I would know when my shoulder is dislocated. You should know that; right, Matt? You were the one who was crying like a baby when you fell through the roof of the cell."

"I didn't sound like _that_!!", hastily responded Matt. "That really hurt! What the hell was I supposed to do? Get up and dance the Nutcracker or something?!"

"You could have manned up and kept quiet. But that's besides the point anyway. Where's Barringer? Aren't you three up next?"

"That's a good question", Matt said, cocking his head to the side. "Didn't he talk to you, Randy, before he went off somewhere?"

"No. I thought he was talking to you."

While the brothers started to argue, Batista rolled his eyes and turned in the direction he was previously going to get his icepack. Dave passed by a closed door and stopped, thinking he heard a series of noises. Putting his ear against the door, Batista heard what sounded like a muffled voice coming from the other side. It didn't take long for Dave to conjecture who was on the other side; he tried opening the door, but found it to be locked. He looked over to his right to see the two brothers still bickering with one another. Taking a deep breath, Batista bellowed out ...

"_**ORTON!**_"

Dave belting voice instantly silenced the two boys and he beckoned them over. After explaining the situation, Randy and Matt tried to communicate beyond the door to confirm that it was Eric. Indeed, some scattered and quiet pleas for help were coming through. This prompted the duo to ram themselves into the door over and over again, trying to get their best friend out from danger. Dave, who knew better than to ram his shoulder into the door, found a janitor nearby and took his keys. Shoving the two younger men aside with his good arm, Batista started trying keys and eventually found the correct one.

Behind the barrier lay a bruised, battered, and bloody Barringer. Eric had a cloth tied around his mouth, seemingly to prevent him from speaking. Another was restricting his arms behind his back. One massive black eye was on his face and Eric was bleeding steadily from his nose. Randy quickly dove in and unrestrained Eric, bringing him to his feet.

"What the hell happened?!", Randy hastily sputtered out. "Who did this to you? You had just left us for a second and ..."

"I ...", Eric interjected, "... I don't know. I don't remember. I went off to get a bottle of water and ... and ... nothing. I woke up in this room. It was dark and I started freaking out. I could feel something warm streaming down my face and onto my chest ... I'm ... I'm a bit dizzy too."

"We're getting you to the trainer right now!", Matt shouted out, and the brothers each put one of Eric's arms behind their necks to support Eric's weight. Batista stopped them before they took another step, however, and insisted on supporting Barringer himself.

"Don't worry about him", suggested Dave, shifting Eric's weight onto his good shoulder. "You two have a match in a couple of minutes. I'll take him to get looked at."

Randy and Matt both looked at each other helplessly; in the heat of the moment, they had forgotten about the six-man tag match that was supposed to take place. Almost immediately, two conclusions were drawn: the culprit was most likely Cena, and the match would now be a three-on-two handicap match.

"They're trying to take the easy way out", stated Randy as he started to shake. "They want the advantage tonight and the advantage at SummerSlam."

"Because ... because they're scared", came a tired and weary voice. Dave, Randy, and Matt all turned to Eric, who was supporting himself now by leaning up against the white brick wall.

"Jeff and Matt know they can't beat you. That's why the wanted the TLC match. Cena knows he can't beat me. That's why he did this to me. They're cowards and they have to go behind our backs to weaken us beforehand. I'll be _damned _if I'm going to let them keep me down. If they think they're scared now, think how scared they'll be when I walk out on that stage tonight to compete", Eric said slowly, but in a steadfast manner.

"Whoa! Hold on!", Matt exclaimed. "You could have a massive concussion! If you get hit again, you could be out before the pay-per-view!"

"To _hell _with the concussion!", Eric growled out, surprising all three men. "I've worked too damn hard to allow someone to come and wreck my chances and my spirit! It doesn't matter if Cena did this to me or not; each one of those damned imbeciles will end up looking like me at the end of the night!"

Matt, being the most conservative of the men, was naturally still concerned about Eric's safety. Dave and Randy, on the other hand, where highly impressed with Eric's brazen attitude. Cena's theme song could now be heard reverberating through the walls, and time was running out to make a decision.

"Are you _absolutely_ _sure_ you want to do this, Eric?", a hesitant Matt asked. Barringer saw the mildly scared look on his best friend's face, but Eric's own pride was getting the best of him as he nodded.

"Then ... then we need to get you bandaged up or something!", Matt cried out.

"Honestly, Matt, do you really think it's going to help? I'm just going to get worse no matter how cleaned up I am! Just give me a towel to get this blood off me. There's hardly any time anyway! Cena's already out there and the Hardys are walking down the ramp!"

Eric was right. The Hardys' theme song had been playing for some time now. 'Burn in My Light' would be playing soon and the trio was nowhere near the curtain.

"I'll go tell the guy to stall", calmly stated Batista. "You two help Eric walk."

"I can walk just fine, thank you!", yelled out Eric defiantly. Barringer carefully pushed off of the wall and took a couple of steps. Much to everyone's amazement, Eric was able to keep his balance and walk on his own accord. Upon realizing this, Batista spun back around towards the curtain. As the trio slowly made their way to the ring, '_**ARE YOU READY?**_' blared throughout the arena.

"_Good plan"_, thought Matt to himself. _"This'll give us a bit more time."_

"_Keep an eye out there on me, okay?"_, Eric communicated to the two men following slowly behind him. _"I'll need all the help I can get. This is going to be hell, but I won't leave that ring until I see them all bleeding."_

Randy and Matt both nodded, swearing to each other that Eric would be protected each step of the way.

'_**BREAK IT DOWN!'**_

All three men stepped beyond the curtain, giving everyone in the arena the first look at the bloody aftermath. Even though the fans heartily supported the Ortons and Barringer, the whole building was in near and complete silence, with everyone in awe at the severity of Eric's injury. Backstage, Amy was in near tears as Camilla tried to support her; the female Orton had never seen her friend so shattered and heartbroken. Shawn was also incredibly taken aback by Barringer's condition; there was no visible reaction from the Heartbreak Kid, but Michaels was as if he were punched in the stomach. Even Lilian stuttered a little as she put her mouth to the microphone to introduce the three men.

However, Eric brought the house down as he brought his arms up in a defiant 'X' symbol above his head. Not to be outdone, Randy and Matt struck their pose, causing the golden pyro to go off behind them. The combined golden sparks and green light encapsuled the stage.

One person in the arena felt like he was a different person. John Cena looked at the three men onstage and momentarily had a feeling of regret rush over him. The visible relationship between the brothers and Barringer shattered the egotistical nature that overwhelmed his personality, if only for a moment. In that short moment, Cena asked himself one question.

"_Was it all worth it?"_

John wasn't referring to the attack on Eric. In fact, he had no idea what had transpired backstage; Cena was not the criminal in this case. The Doctor of Thuganomics looked over to his tag team partners. Jeff and Matt looked back at him with sinister glares.

"_It was them?"_

Cena's ego switched itself back on as the trio neared the ring; the match was more important than trying to find out what happened. If that made SummerSlam that much easier, so be it.

Randy and Matt stepped inside the ring first, putting themselves in between their opponents and Eric. Barringer slowly climbed in between the ropes into the ring, staring directly into John's eyes. Cena could feel the intense hatred from those eyes beam into his own, and John could almost feel the burning.

"_This isn't a match"_, Eric said, making an executive decision. _"This is a bloodbath."_

A surge of adrenaline coursed through the trio's veins as the bell rang. Randy and Matt charged blatantly at all three men standing across from them. Cena quickly rolled under the bottom rope and retreated back up the ramp, leaving Jeff and Matt to fend for themselves. The ref didn't even bother to break up the situation; in fact, he decided to high tail it back up the ramp after seeing the expression on Eric's face and the five chairs Randy and Matt slid into the ring after delivering swift RKOs to each Hardy brother. Jeff and Matt were hardly conscious as chairs were slid under their heads. The brothers each commandeered a chair of their own and one was handed to Eric. Lilian tossed a microphone to Matt, who raised the chair in the air and pointed it straight at Cena.

"So ... the coward gets exactly what he doesn't expect. And what does he do? Run away. Just like everyone else before him. Cena locks our best friend in a closet after he attacks him mercilessly from behind. If you think you're going to get mercy come SummerSlam, you're sorely mistaken!"

"But I didn't do it", John mouthed, oblivious to the men in the ring. Matt had handed the microphone over to Eric, whose condition had momentarily improved due to the adrenaline.

"Look at you, Cena. Just a couple of weeks ago, you would have been in this ring on our side. We would have been fighting for the World Heavyweight Championship honorably! This little 'Chain Gang' of yours would be nonexistent! You would still have a _family_! But ... you gave that all up. And ... and we're going to show you what happens to those who give that up."

Eric threw the microphone down to the canvas and lifted the chair in both hands above his head. Giving one last look to Cena, Eric slammed the chair down on Jeff's head, then repeated the motion immediately for Matt's head. Both Hardys lay motionless on the mat, a single stream of blood on each man's forehead. The Ortons took their swings, older brother hitting older brother and younger brother hitting younger brother. This opened up the Hardys' gashes even further, giving Jeff and Matt the full crimson mask. Randy bent down to grab the microphone, and uttered the last words before RAW went off the air.

"Championship equals honor ... respect ... loyalty ... _family_ ... you walked away from all that, just like you ran up that ramp tonight. You gave up the World Tag Team Championships that you had with my brother and you gave up what little chance you had at the World Heavyweight title. You are looking at the dominant family, not only on this show ... but in this whole damn business. My last name is Orton. My brother's last name is Orton. Eric's last name ... well ... it isn't Orton, but it might as well be! We are third generation Superstars and our legend will supersede any that you are trying to create, Cena!"

* * *

_How will Eric's condition affect the trio's trip back into the forest? What will they find upon returning to the campsite? What does Cena's momentary regret have to do with anything? And, with one week left until the biggest party of the summer, the General Manager has one final surprise in store for the family. _

_That last bit was intense. Jeez._

_Hope you enjoyed reading it! Let me know how I'm doing! And a sincere thank you to those who do so already!_

_SuspiciousInitals_


	75. Shockwave

_Jeez, this one took a long time. Sorry. I hate the couple weeks before finals._

_Oh, a little bit of a language warning for this chapter._

_Amy finally gets an opportunity to measure the damage incurred to Eric from the attack in the hallway. Then, Eric, Randy, and Matt prepare themselves for a long couple of days as they prepare to search for the man who scared Eric last week. Will they find him?_

_Here we go!_

* * *

Eric's walking ability was better than before now that he had let loose some of his anger on Jeff and Matt Hardy. Still, the brothers followed slowly behind him as they made their way back to the locker room. The first person they saw upon opening the door was Amy, who stood rooted to the ground, shaking as if she were in below zero degree weather. Eric walked up to his girlfriend, who immediately buried her head in his chest. Barringer felt the tears stream onto his skin and quickly took Amy to a back corner of the room to calm her down. Randy went back outside to see if Lilian was done taking pictures and signing autographs for the fans while Matt and Camilla caught up with each other in another part of the room. Dave, who had his shoulder covered with a freakishly large icepack, walked over to Shawn, who still hadn't taken his eyes off Eric.

"It's hard to think about what you're supposed to focus on for SummerSlam when you've got something else you're worried about right in front of you", Shawn said in one flat voice. "Sometimes I find myself worrying about that man more than I do some members of my own family. And to think Cena could stoop so low ... it sometimes causes me to question my own faith. You went through something like this, but you came to your senses."

"Its hard not to when your head gets punted as if it were a football. You get the sense literally knocked into you."

Shawn chuckled, but continued on. "As for Hunter ... I've given up on him. I've come to the conclusion that he just goes along with whatever is best for him at the time. I don't ... I don't know why he did what he did. At this point, I don't really care. I just want him out. I want him out of our lives so he doesn't have another chance mess with our heads."

"You know ...", Batista interrupted. "... before becoming a part of Evolution, Shawn, I didn't really have a family. I grew up almost literally fighting every day for sustenance. Then I got a job here on Smackdown. I was a loner up until Triple H recruited me to come to RAW. Then once the wheels got rolling and it was you guys spending every weekend with us over at the Ortons', I felt like I had been with the people I was supposed to be with all my life. You care so much not only about Eric, but also about the rest of us."

"In my mind, Dave, I don't have anything else to do."

Eric and Amy, meanwhile, were still in a corner of the room. Amy's crying had slowed to only a few tears every minute or so, but she still had her face buried against Eric's chest.

"You don't know what was going through my mind when I saw you come out from behind the curtain", Amy said after a short sob. "I felt like part of me was in danger of being pulled away permanently. That young man that makes me laugh and makes me feel like I'm the only woman in the world ... that man was almost gone."

"Calm down ... its not like I was going to die. Remember, my 'honorary' last name is Orton. That means I get part of their endurance. It's gonna take a lot more than a bump on my head, a broken nose, and a black eye to take me down. Which gets me to the point I want to make."

Amy pulled away for the first time and looked Eric directly in the eyes, wondering what he would say.

"Shawn makes this big deal about family and you just heard Randy call all of us the most dominant family this business has ever seen ... and ... and I want you to start to consider what it would be like to actually _be_ a family."

Amy's eyes brightened up and her mouth opened wide in surprise. She ended up putting both hands over her mouth at the very thought of something like that happening.

"Now ... I'm not asking you now. I don't want to rush into things. Just ... just take it into consideration and give me your thoughts on it at a later date, okay?"

Randy and Lilian had entered the room soon afterwards, and they took a seat next to Matt, who had already changed into street clothes. Randy got up to do the same, but Lilian kept an arm locked around her fiancée.

"What?", asked Randy. "I won't be gone long. I don't take an eternity to change like my little brother does."

"I want you to just sit here for a while with me. I feel like we don't spend nearly enough time together on Mondays. Amy and Camilla are the lucky ones; they get their boy toys to play with back here all night while I'm out there getting whistled at by random people in the crowd. I want my Randy here by my side."

Randy looked up at his brother, who smirked and shook his head. The older Orton looked down at Lilian's head resting on his shoulder and put his own head down on Lilian's.

"I'll just change at the hotel. I can wait."

* * *

Eric's injury turned out to be no more than a fleeting occasion; other than his broken nose, the black eye disappeared overnight and his sense of balance returned immediately upon waking up. While Shawn, Dave, and the three women all went downstairs to get a hot continental breakfast, Eric, Randy, and Matt stayed behind in one of the rooms to discuss the week ahead.

"How are we going to attack this?", asked Eric, establishing a steady and calm attitude over the matter. "We obviously need to bring some sort of weapon if we're going to take this guy down. He looked _huge _when I saw him there in the forest. And if _he_ has something to defend himself with ... it'll be nasty."

"We've got a couple of baseball bats in the closet at home", mentioned Randy. "I think that'll be good enough. And if that fails, I've got my own hands I can wring his neck with if he even _thinks_ about touching either of you."

"I'm hoping it doesn't come to that", suggested Matt. "If we can subdue him and turn him into the police, we can all go home proud of what we've done."

Randy looked sternly at his brother, expecting more out of him.

"Do you really expect me to go easy on this guy?! If I get within reaching distance, I'm going to break every bone in his body to let him know how much I suffered while you were gone!"

"I want a piece of him too", interjected Eric eagerly. "This dude was the cause of a lot of anguish and tears in the early part of my life and he deserves to suffer under our wrath. I want to see this guy wriggle under my Camel Clutch after we knock his lights out. And I know you want a piece of him, Matt. I've gotten into your thoughts and I _know _you have a desire to finish this guy off. I know you do, no matter what you say or do."

Eric was right. Some of the dreams Matt had been having over the last couple of nights involved brutally beating this man down to a pulp. Randy and Eric would restrain the person while he would repeatedly slug him across the face until all the bones in his skull were crushed. Part of Matt found these dreams disturbing; the other part found it the perfect solution to solving his family's troubles. If something didn't happen now, these dreams were going to persist.

"Then when we get home ...", Matt began, "... we act like we're going to go camping again. We don't let anyone know what the hell we're going to do. Bring the baseball bats and anything else you think could help us in looking for this guy. If we find him, we find a way to bring him to his knees. Restrain him somehow ... and then we can each have a couple of minutes with him."

Randy had a grin spread itself across his face. "That's the attitude I want from you._ Nothing_ will happen to any of us. _Everything_ ... will happen to him. Now ... let's go downstairs and get some grub. If we're gonna take this guy apart, we're gonna need all the energy we can get."

There was now a mutual understanding between all three men. As they waited in the elevator to get down to the lobby, Matt started to think of the worst. Such was his nature; the pessimism he had was a result of his upbringing. His mother always taught him to expect the worst in people and to think of the worst as what would come to him. It wasn't the greatest parenting, but Matt took that initiative to always be on his guard. He closed his eyes; the memory of bringing up his now deceased parents still pained him. Sensing his brother's pain, Randy put his arm around Matt's shoulder.

"_Just think ... sixteen years of us being apart will all be rectified within twenty four hours."_

Randy put a smile on his brother's face as the elevator opened. Soon, the three men were chowing down beside their significant others as well as the Heartbreak Kid and the Animal.

"What took you three so long?", exclaimed Lilian as she sprung up from her seat and latched onto her fiancée. "We've almost gone through the whole breakfast buffet already! I still can't believe how fast Dave manages to put down a plate of eggs."

Batista looked up with his mouth full and gave a short wave. Randy stifled a giggle as Matt and Eric went to go pick at what was left for breakfast. Randy wanted to do the same, but Lilian wouldn't let him go. Then, in a complete change of tone, Lilian said the words no man wants to hear from his fiancée…

"I need to talk to you."

Hearing this, Matt and Camilla both dropped their forks in surprise. The whole table turned collectively towards the pair, expecting a response from Randy. Lilian drug a helpless Orton back past the elevators into the hotel lobby where they could have some privacy. Matt and Eric tried to listen in, but Randy's mind was too mixed up in reaction and emotion to make any sort of sense. After Lilian finally was out of sight of the breakfast table, she turned to Randy, looked him in the eyes, and said…

"Do you know how much I worry about you?"

Randy breathed a sigh of relief. _"For a moment there, I thought Lilian was going to…"_

"I know something's wrong. You haven't been the usual Randy I know for the last couple of days. Tell me."

"Nothing ...", Randy hesitated. "Nothing's wrong. I've just been preoccupied with SummerSlam, worrying about keeping Matt and I uninjured."

Lilian chuckled and shook her head while lowering her eyes to the ground. "You know, I can tell when you're lying to me. Your cheeks get a little red and you always raise your left eyebrow just a little. Now, tell me. What has been going on in your life that's causing you to act so differently?"

Randy didn't have an answer prepared. He knew he had sworn to Eric and Matt before to not tell anyone of what was going on, but Lilian seemed to have a grasp on the situation. Orton uneasily scratched behind his head and looked to the ceiling.

"Now you're confirming it to me. Tell me what's wrong, Randall Keith Orton."

Randy sighed. Getting called by his full name wasn't something he enjoyed very much, _especially_ when Lilian was the one doing it. Closing off his thoughts to Eric and Matt, Randy took a deep breath and started his story.

"When Matt and I went camping for the first time, we found a small little blue baby shirt neatly folded right in front of our tent. And ... and I recognized it from somewhere."

Orton pulled the very same picture he showed to Matt that day in San Antonio from his wallet and showed it to Lilian.

"And this is the same shirt?", she asked.

"The very same one, down to the little red emblem on the chest. And then when Eric came along the last time, someone threw a pair of shoes at him that he hadn't seen in years. He **flipped**, and we left early. Eric then told us the story of when he was a little kid and he went camping. He nearly got kidnapped like Matt did; he _would_ have too if he didn't wake up when the man entered his tent."

"Wait ... you think this person that took Matt away and nearly took Eric away is still alive?"

Randy nodded, trying to keep the anger suppressed that was rising from deep within, not wanting Lilian to...

"And you want to go back and find this man, don't you?"

Orton let out a breath and started to chuckle lightly. "You can read me like a book, can't you?"

"It's hard _not _to recognize the changes in you. You aren't as cocky and arrogant as you usually are around your brother, you don't run your hand through my hair when we're in bed together, you keep to yourself most of the time ... I could go on and on, Randy. But now I'm happy. At least I know what's troubling you." A big grin appeared on Lilian's face and she turned around to rejoin the group for breakfast.

"... that's it?", Randy called out. "You're not worried about what might happen?"

Lilian turned around, her happy expression unchanged. "No. You three will be fine. I know that."

"Wait a minute!", Randy called out again as Lilian was turning around. "I'm going out with my best friend and my brother to find a man that wrecked our lives all those years ago ... a man who could be _dangerous _... and you aren't worried?! You just finished telling me you worry about me so much!"

"I can't be worried about you when I know that you will pull through."

"How do you know that nothing will happen? Eric said that this guy was freakishly huge! I'm not even sure we can take him down!"

"Just trust me on this. Remember when I told you when we were walking down the Riverwalk in San Antonio that I thought fate determined everything in our lives? I think it's your fate to find this man and get some revenge. Now stop blabbering and come eat some breakfast. There might be a bagel left or something."

Randy couldn't wrap his mind around how calm Lilian was. He knew before that he had always felt at ease around her; it was part of the reason Randy asked for her hand in marriage. But to be so lax over this sort of thing ...

_"The only way she can be so calm about this is if she **absolutely knows** that nothing bad will happen. I've seen her face out there when I'm having a match, and she looks absolutely calm when end up winning the match, but she looks absolutely terrified when I lose. Is ... is she psychic or something?"_

_"That's what Camilla said she was."_

Randy didn't expect his brother's voice to pop in his head so soon.

_"How did you know what was going on? I closed myself off to you two!"_

_"You're not very good at it when you're flustered. I can manage my way in. But you have a good point. If she doesn't have a problem with it, why should we? Since she's so confident that we'll come out of this unscathed, we should head over there once we get back to St. Louis! Like you said, this is our chance to correct sixteen years of our life! Let's not miss this opportunity!"_

Randy put a small smirk on his face for the first time that morning. Heading back to the table, Randy begrudgingly took the last bagel from the buffet line and sat down to eat.

"There isn't even any cream cheese?"

"Nope", responded Batista. "If you would have been a little faster getting down here, maybe you would have gotten some", he said while chewing on a cream cheese-covered bagel. Randy narrowed his eyes at the Animal and scarfed down his breakfast.

_"Maybe this week won't be so bad after all. We're going to find the man that destroyed our lives and we're wreck shop at RAW with only one week to go until SummerSlam. What else could go wrong? ... I better not say that. I'll jinx everything."_

* * *

Eric was unloading the camping equipment, albeit a little wary of his surroundings. Whenever he wasn't focused on a certain task, Barringer looked around the campsite for any sign of the man he saw just a week ago. Randy and Matt were concerned as well, but not to the extreme degree that Eric was.

"Will you calm down a little?", asked Randy. "You're starting to drive me crazy! Just chill for now! We'll go looking for him later. It's not like he can sneak up on us in mid-daylight either!"

"He's right", stated Matt. "We'll worry about that later. For now, let's just have a little fun and start fishing after we get the tent set up. We don't have to start the fire either until it starts getting dark."

"We brought flashlights, right?", asked Eric, the nervousness clearly evident in his now high-pitched voice.

"Flashlights and baseball bats", answered a cocky Randy. "Nothing is getting past us tonight. You ready?", Randy asked his brother, nodding over to the lake. Eric rolled his eyes as the brothers sprinted off towards the lake, diving in to catch dinner. Barringer was left to take care of the little things: putting the bottles of water in the ice chest and building the little stone setup for the fire. After emptying the package of bottled water, Eric went to work on grabbing a couple of rocks to make a circle to house the fire in. Barringer picked up a couple of rocks and had a nice semi-circle going when he noticed something under a rock he had picked up. A small piece of paper, neatly folded into a small square several times, lay under his eyes.

Randy and Matt popped their heads out of the water and looked over towards Eric when they felt his anxiety shoot through the roof. Getting back onto land, Matt dropped the catfish he had by the ice chest and joined his brother overlooking Eric's shoulder. Barringer started to unfold the paper, and the eyes of all three men opened wide as they realized what it was.

"A map?", Eric exclaimed. "This is got to be some sort of weird dream. I feel like we're in a cheesy horror movie." Barringer threw down the paper and sat down on a tree trunk, burying his face in his hands. Randy picked up the map and inspected it while Matt sat down beside his best friend.

"Okay ... maybe this _is _a little weird. I mean ... its like he _wants_ us to find him if he just left the thing here. But, he's just accelerating his own demise, right?"

"Not to sound cliché, but I just have a bad feeling about this. He's anticipating us getting there now. He's going to be prepared, and who knows what that crazy son of a bitch has waiting for us."

Matt looked up at his brother, and even Randy now had a look of caution on his face. Before, the older Orton was extremely confident about their chances, but with the apparent bait that the madman had left behind, second thoughts started to pop up in his head.

"Is it really worth risking our lives just for revenge?", Eric interjected. "I mean ... we've lived for about a year and a half without the ill effects of what happened seventeen years ago."

"Nothing is going to happen", Randy stated in a confident manner. "Lilian knows that we're going to be fine, and that's good enough for me."

Eric looked a little bewildered. "You know, I still don't like that you told her about this. What if she tells Amy or Camilla? Or even worse ... Dave? He would be speeding out here to snatch us away from doing something idiotic."

"She swore to me that she wouldn't. Listen, Lilian keeps telling me that it was fate that brought this whole family together. And, I think, fate is going to keep us that way. It's our destiny to come out here and bring justice to this guy."

Matt nodded in agreement. "He's right. Maybe it was fate that put the map there. What else is there to do?"

Eric was staring at the ground the entire time. Looking up to the sky, he took a deep breath and stood straight up.

"Then we do this _now_. We don't wait until nighttime. We surprise him and take him down just as the bastard deserves it." With a look of pure, refined anger on his face, Eric picked up one of the three baseball bats and the map and trudged off in the direction the map was pointing. Matt and Randy both looked at each other in shock and grabbed one of the remaining baseball bats each.

"What about the catfish?!", yelled out Matt towards Eric.

"Who gives a fuck about the catfish? Grab a couple of bottles of water and hurry the hell up! We've got a long way to go!"

Matt did quickly as he was told and both brothers chased after Barringer. The change in atmosphere was one for the worse; the nice shaded area that they set up camp in was heaven compared to the bright, sizzling sun above them now. The three bottles of water didn't last very long as the minutes turned into hours. The map seemed to take them around the lake to a point approximately straight across from their camp site on the other side. Randy took the lead after a while, being the oldest of the group. As they approached the big red circle on the map, a rather large brown house that blended almost perfectly with the surrounding landscape came into view. It even looked like part of the house was built into the large rock formation next to it.

"This is the kind of stuff that pops up in video games ...", Matt said, in awe of the house in front of him. Randy put a hand up to stop Matt and Eric and quietly went ahead to the front door. Peering inside did no good because of the darkness of the house; no lights were on and the light from outside only illuminated a few feet inside.

"Did we bring the flashlights?"

Matt dug around in his pocket and pulled out three small pocket-sized ones.

"Not the big ones, but these will have to do."

Randy caught the flashlight thrown at him and readied the baseball bat in his right hand. Putting the turned on flashlight behind his ear, he started to ram the wooden door with his shoulder. Matt rolled his eyes as Randy failed time after time again. After Randy took a break to let his shoulder pain subside, Matt went up and tried the doorknob.

The door opened.

"You idiot."

The trio eased into the house; Matt manning the flashlight while Randy and Eric held their bats as if they were waiting for the baseball at home plate. Feeling around the walls, Matt found the light switch and illuminated the whole house with a swipe of his finger. From inside, the house wasn't as large as it seemed. This allowed the trio to explore each room in the house with their weapons ready to hit a home run or two ... or three ... or however many they needed. The house was just as warm as it was outside; the incessant sweating didn't help the pounding of their hearts as they eliminated each room as not having their target in it.

Finally, one room was left. Matt tried the doorknob, but failed.

"Ha", Randy said. "Can't use your smarts now, can you?"

"I wasn't using my head. It's just common sense ... jeez."

Instead of Randy ramming the door by himself, the trio put up a collective effort and stormed the door all at once, breaking through and nearly collapsing in a pile of bodies. After dusting themselves off, they looked up to see quite a strange room. Lining the walls were articles of newspapers. Upon further inspection, these came from papers quite a long time ago.

"1984 ... 1985 ... 1986 ... right around when it happened ...", Randy said to himself.

"These articles are all about little kids disappearing", mentioned Eric, going around reading all the articles. "And look! This one is about you, Matt!"

The brothers clamored to see the article Eric was referring to. For Matt, it was like a window into his unknown past. For Randy, it brought back too many bad memories. Matt looked back to see some tears escape his brother's eyes.

"Dammit, Randy ... man up. Come on. It's obvious the guy's not here. We've searched the whole house. Nothing. We just need to ..."

Matt noticed out of the corner of his eye two large containers of gasoline sitting in a dark corner of the room. Right above them was another newspaper article. Grabbing his flashlight, Matt inspected the article with his brother and his best friend protecting his back.

"This is a San Antonio article ... not a St. Louis one ..."

"Why would he have gasoline here?", Randy asked. "He doesn't have a car; there weren't any tire tracks in the dirt outside. We found plenty of matches in the kitchen. I don't get it."

But upon reading the article, everything clicked for the three men. Eric took a step back and buried his head in his hands again. Randy's jaw was wide open and he started shaking his head. Looking at his brother, Randy saw Matt's face turned just the shade of red it did when Matt let himself get sunburn badly.

The article was the print version of the online article Matt read when he found out. The younger Orton dropped the baseball bat, dropped to his knees, and started to cry. But soon, those tears of sorrow turned to tears of anger.

"... this ... this bastard set my house on fire. He ... he **killed my parents!**"

Just as Randy got Matt back to his feet, all three men spun around. They heard the front door open and slam shut.

* * *

_Oh boy. Is Lilian's prediction correct? Will the three men emerge unscathed? __Can Eric get revenge on the man that wrecked his childhood? And c__an Randy and Matt strike down the man that brought them so much grief over the years? _

_And we've still got SummerSlam upcoming. How will Amy react after thinking of what Eric mentioned in the locker room?  
_

_Hope you enjoyed it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	76. Passion

_A very special thanks goes out to x.Hardy.at.Heart.x and notfromearth7, who have been constantly reviewing. I really appreciate it. And I'm on fire! Here's another chapter.  
_

_Another language warning in this one ... and a little bit of graphic, disturbing warning type thing. This one gets ugly._

_But now, Randy, Eric, and Matt go up against __him__. Can they survive just as Lilian predicted? Or is it the end for one of the trio?_

_Here we go!_

* * *

Hearing the front door open and slam shut was the last thing the three men wanted to hear. Matt immediately grabbed ahold of the baseball bat he dropped and hid in a spare closet while Randy and Eric retreated to either side of the open door. Randy managed to sneak a small peek at his target ... and immediately retracted back to his position.

_"That son of a bitch is __**huge**!__", _thought Randy, his eyes still seeing the outline of the at least seven-foot tall human being. It didn't help that he was about as thick as Mark Henry. _"This bastard steals children?! What the hell?!"_

The trio could hear the man grunt in suspicion; he didn't leave the lights on when he left. Matt's heart was pounding itself out of his ribcage as if it wanted to escape from this hellish nightmare of a prison he was in right now. Trying to calm his breathing down, Matt closed his eyes and tried to focus on the goal at hand.

But that didn't help much. A few seconds after he closed his eyes, Matt opened them in shock; a couple of loud footsteps later, and he heard two separate choking sounds. Opening the closet door, Orton reacted in the way he should when he sees his brother and his best friend being lifted up in the air by the neck with one hand: Matt slammed the aluminum baseball bat over the skull of his attacker. Matt was successful in one thing: saving Randy and Eric. The attacker dropped both men to the floor, who proceeded to gasp and wheeze from having their necks compressed. However, the madman was not fazed at all by Matt's attack. Orton backed up, holding the bat at the ready for another attack, but dropped it the minute the madman wrapped both of his hands around Matt's neck. The younger Orton immediately recognized that he was just a few moments from possible death. The pain was at least doubly intense as it was during the incident with Batista, and Matt could already feel himself slipping away.

However, two baseball bats impacted the back of the madman's head, causing the attacker to wobble a little and loosen his grip on Matt. The process was repeated; Randy and Eric wouldn't stop slamming their bats into the skull of the attacker. The madman retaliated by throwing Matt into Randy and Eric, which sent all three men flying across the room.

Randy wanted to inspect Matt's condition, but wasn't allotted any time; the madman had grabbed Eric by the throat and had Barringer in a similar position that Matt was just a second ago. Randy looked around the room for anything he could possibly use.

There was a nail gun on a shelf just above the containers of gasoline.

Using all the adrenaline in his body, Randy picked himself up and ran over towards the weapon. Picking it up, Randy immediately aimed at the madman's head. However, Eric's eyes brightened at seeing Randy's aim, and Orton lowered it down towards the legs and fired three shots.

All three shots hit their target. The attacker dropped to his knees, having each nail impact the back of his right quad. Eric managed to crawl over to the motionless body of his best friend. Randy watched Eric feverishly try to attend to Matt; upon seeing Eric's failures, Randy turned to the fallen attacker and fired three more shots at the opposite leg.

A giant growl resonated throughout the room and the madman turned and fell on his back. Randy immediately mounted his brother's attacker and held the nail gun in between his eyes. For the first time, Orton got a good look at the face of the man that stole sixteen years of his life away from him.

The man had no color in his eyes; only a pure black was present. His face was torn and dirty, presumably from what he had gone through in the past. His pale, white skin was covered in red splotches ... Randy didn't know or care why.

"Give ... me ... **one good reason** ... not to put a nail through your skull!"

The man's eyes finally met those of Randy's. After a second, the man started to cackle incessantly.

"You ... you were the scared little shit I saw crying in the truck when your father was looking for your little brother. He's certainly raised you well. How was life without your counterpart, huh?"

"**SHUT THE FUCK UP!**", Randy said as he pushed the end of the nail gun deeper in the man's forehead, drawing some blood. "You're the person that I've had nightmares about for a good portion of my life. I spent sixteen years wondering if I would ever see my baby brother again!" Trembling, Randy had his finger on the trigger. "But I bet you haven't had the shock of having family snatched away from you, huh?"

"Actually ...", he said while smiling, "... I have. I had a wife once. Beautiful woman. I loved her to death. She had no idea what I was doing out here, and that was the beauty of it all. But ... but one time she followed me here. That was the day I had kidnapped your little brother. I had him ready to go; I had the sledgehammer out on the counter and my gloves on. The old leftover newspaper clippings were spread across the room, ready to catch all the splatter."

Meanwhile, Eric had managed to bring Matt up to a sitting position, and both were listening in on the story being told. It was then that Matt realized that there was a sledgehammer inside the closet he was hiding in.

"But then she came in. She saw what I was about to do. Before I had a chance to attack her, she grabbed the little twerp and escaped. Because of her, my tenth kill had to wait."

The next sound out of the madman's mouth was another resounding yell; Matt had picked up the sledgehammer and slammed it into his lower leg. Orton let loose with another sledgehammer shot, this time getting a nasty "crack" as the weapon hit its target. Randy jumped off the man's chest as Matt did the same to the other leg, breaking it in two different places. As the madman screamed out in pain clutching his legs, Matt smiled. Blood was starting to pour out of the man's kneecap. Orton could even see the white bone sticking out.

"So I was supposed to die?", said Matt in between coughs, his throat still constricted from the choking he received earlier. "By a sledgehammer shot? Well, you won't be disappointed in hearing that I've had my share of pain coming from this kind of a weapon. However ...", he said while bringing the sledgehammer over his head, "... you _might_ be disappointed over what's going to happen to you."

Matt was aiming for the head. But as he brought the weapon over his head, Eric grabbed it and restrained his best friend. Randy was dumbfounded, shooting the man in the arms for good measure.

"What the hell are you doing? Let Matt finish the bastard off!"

"No", replied Eric. "I have a better idea." Barringer motioned over to the cans of gasoline, and Matt smiled.

"So ... you killed little children. Then did you found out I was alive? Reading the newspaper, surely you came across the story of a professional wrestler and his brother that, somehow, ran into him at a SmackDown! taping? The same little brother that you came across and kidnapped from his loving mother and father and the **best goddamn fucking big brother a person could ever have?!**"

Matt calmed down a little when he saw the madman nod just a little through all the pain.

"Well ... you surely remember the two people that you killed in San Antonio. The man and the woman whose house you burned down with them inside? To target those two specific people, I bet you had to do your research, huh? My parents ... the people that I loved for sixteen years and who I still love today ... gone. And you're going to die the same horrible death they did."

Matt took one last sledgehammer shot; this time, impacting the man's chest. Throwing the weapon down as he heard intense coughing, the three men each grabbed a gasoline container and started sprinkling the whole house with fuel. Matt took extra care to douse the madman in gasoline, getting more screams of pain. Randy grabbed the matches from the kitchen and he, Eric, and Matt all left the house. They could hear cries for help come from the room where it all happened, but nothing could save him now. Each man took a match and lit it.

"For family."

"For my best friend."

"For my brother."

The three matches were all thrown at the house, and, with the fire burning brightly, the trio turned around and started walking towards the campsite again.

* * *

From then on, the brothers decided that camping in the backyard would be good enough to satisfy their cravings for the outdoors. A giant burden had been lifted off their shoulders, and Lilian was the first one to pick up on it. Taking one look at Randy's face, a content smile spread itself across Lilian's face. Even Amy and Camilla felt the lighthearted nature of their respective significant others.

The rest of the week went by smoothly. The only thing on the news about the incident was a random forest fire that seemed to be a case of arson. Officials had no leads. On the lighter side, Shawn had Eric in heavy endurance training: running, swimming, and sprinting. The Heartbreak Kid knew that Eric had a hell of a mountain to climb against Cena when it came to strength, so Shawn wanted Barringer to have the edge in outlasting the Doctor of Thuganomics.

Similarly, Dave had Randy and Matt concentrating on a specific skill; however, Batista naturally had the brothers working on strength rather than endurance. Even though there was still one more RAW to SummerSlam, Dave had the pair training like SummerSlam was the next day. The brothers were continuously maxing out: squats, deadlifts, bench presses, you name it, they probably did it.

On the Sunday night before the next RAW, Randy, Eric, and Matt all sat in the lobby of a hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, exhausted after a week's worth of training and day's worth of autograph signings. Shawn, Dave, and the ladies were all still at the signing, but the boys decided to retreat for the night.

"What do you think Austin's got in store for us tomorrow?", asked a tired Eric, the bottoms of his feet killing him from all the running he had done.

"I don't know ...", said an out of breath Randy, who was sore all over. He couldn't even Orton pose for the female fans earlier at the signing. "... and I don't care. As long as Matt and I get our hands on the Hardys next Sunday, I'm fine."

"He'll ... he'll have something up his sleeve", interjected Matt. "I can't picture him just letting us have it easy the week before a pay-per-view." Matt groaned as he stood up. Even the simple acting of walking was hampered by his sore quadriceps muscles. "Ugh ... remind me not to walk anymore. You guys want to get some drinks?"

"Drinks?", Randy said. "You're not even of age yet, you idiot! How do you think you're gonna get a beer?"

"If you want a beer, you get one your own damn self. I wasn't even talking about that. I want a milkshake or something. Jeez. Besides, do you _want _Batista finding out you're drinking before a Monday night?"

"Eh ... good point. Make it chocolate then."

"I'll take mine vanilla!", yelled out Eric. Matt nodded and went off in the direction of the hotel's restaurant, leaving Randy and Eric behind for the moment.

"So ...", Randy began, "... you and Amy are getting pretty deep, huh? I've found out that you asked her to marry you."

"I didn't ask her to marry me ... _yet_. I told her to consider what it could be like ... although, she _did_ react as if I did ask her."

"You practically did. Did she tell you anything during the week?"

"Not really. Although every time she was in the same room I was, she had a huge smile on her face."

"Apparently, you please her in more ways than one, am I right?"

Eric started to laugh. "Damn straight. But in all seriousness, I might consider actually asking her the question after SummerSlam. Winning the title ... then getting the woman that I've wanted all my life ... that'll be the day."

"Hey ... don't let it get to your head now. Matt wanted to do something similar at WrestleMania after beating Kane in Hell in a Cell. But then he realized that a big moment like that just simply wasn't the right thing to do. Just ask her when you think it feels right."

Barringer nodded, smiling and looking down at the floor. "Maybe you're right then. Maybe I should just ask her when she gets ..."

Eric looked up at that moment and saw someone quite unexpected in front of him. Standing behind Randy was the other #1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship: John Cena. Randy spun around and got up at the same speed that Eric did.

"What in God's name are you doing here, Cena?!", Randy sputtered out, enraged that John would come anywhere near him or Eric.

"I don't want to raise cain right now, Randy. All I want to do is speak to your brother."

"You have no right to speak to me, Eric, or him! Now get the hell out of my face before I RKO yours straight down onto this marble floor!"

Cena put his hands up in helplessness and turned around, ready to leave the lobby.

"Wait!", came a voice from the exit of the restaurant. John, Randy, and Eric all turned around to see Matt jogging to the center of the lobby, struggling to hold three milkshakes. After putting them down on a table, the younger Orton walked over to his former World Tag Team Championship partner, much to the bewilderment of his older brother.

"What do you want, Cena?", Matt asked in a very calm manner. Randy was still flipping over his brother's willingness to talk to the enemy.

"I just need to get something off my chest to you. The whole story about what happened to me in college ... me having a best friend named Matt and all that crap ... it wasn't true. Every bit of it was a lie."

Matt slowly nodded. "And you're telling me this now ... why?"

"I realized I've done wrong, Orton. No matter what my ego tries to tell me, I had it made when I was with you guys. This whole 'Chain Gang' business is a sham too. Torrie Wilson? Chris Jericho? Matt and Jeff Hardy? Orton, I wasn't the one who attacked Barringer last week. The Hardys did it! But ... but remember when you and I were the 'Chain Gang'? The week before Backlash when you came out in my outfit acting just like I did ... that was one of best moments in my career. I really truly felt like I had a friend. And for some reason, I gave that up. To this day, I don't know why I did. But listen. This is all I'm asking. You gave Triple H a second chance after he turned . You gave Batista a second chance. Why don't you give _me_ a second chance?"

Randy was livid now, and so was Eric, to a degree. Matt could hear his brother trying to instruct him what to do in this situation, but he wasn't paying any attention. To get Cena back as a friend was something Matt had wanted to happen for a very long time now. John extended his hand out towards Matt, and the younger Orton looked down at it before turning back to Randy and Eric. Matt saw his brother's red face as he naturally got whenever Randy was Matt. Eric, on the other hand, saw the conviction on his best friend's face.

_"Whatever you want to do, man. I'm behind you."_

_"**YOU TWO ARE FREAKIN' IDIOTS!!**"_, Randy screamed in his thoughts.

Matt chuckled a bit before extending his own hand to Cena. John accepted it and was all smiles before Matt forcefully brought Cena close to him and stared him in the eye. John was taken aback, and Matt could see a little hint of fear in the rapper's face.

"John, I'm going to give you the same speech that I did Hunter and Dave. If you screw this up in _any way_, I will make sure you regret it for the rest of your career. You hear me?"

"Loud and clear, boss."

"And just because I've accepted you doesn't mean they will", Matt said turning to Eric and Randy. Barringer was sipping away on his milkshake and shrugged while watching Randy make a fool of himself pouting. Eric didn't seem to mind, although the glare he gave John wasn't exactly benevolent.

"Go up to your room ... do whatever you have to do. Maybe within a month or two, we can welcome you back into the family. Shawn and Dave aren't going to take this very lightly either. And you _know_ Amy isn't going to be very happy."

John and Matt heard an audible grunt from Eric, who started to shake his head. Cena chuckled a little, and said, "I know I have to do a hell of a lot of work to get back to where I was. I've done a lot of harm to you guys and I intend to get you to forgive me."

"Cena, forgiving isn't the matter. It's just filling in the hole you left behind. Remember that, okay?"

"No doubt." John put his fist up as if he expected Matt to slam fists like they did before he turned on Orton. Matt couldn't help but smile and slowly, but emphatically, slammed fists with Cena. John walked past Randy, making sure to take a wide arc around him to avoid being within arm's length, and stood right next to Eric.

"I want a week from today to be honorable. I know I've done a lot and ..."

"You don't have to give me the same speech", Eric said, putting a hand up to stop John. "Just prove yourself to me tomorrow night, okay? That's all it will take. I trust Matt, and if you've got his backing, it won't take much from me to get back to the point we were before, alright?"

"Word." John extended his hand, but Eric refused for the moment.

"Remember, you've still got to prove yourself. Do that, and I'll shake your hand."

Cena understood and walked towards the elevator, making sure to take the long way around Randy again. After seeing Cena disappear behind the elevator door, Randy finally calmed down a bit while drinking his milkshake.

"I still think you made a stupid decision."

"You've said that the last two times something like this happened", Matt snapped back.

"I was right once."

"Well ... let's hope I make it two out of three."

* * *

"St. Anger" by Metallica, the theme for the 2003 edition of SummerSlam, played through the arena as the card for the pay-per-view rolled on the TitanTron. Batista vs. the Undertaker for the #1 contender's spot at the World Heavyweight Championship. Lita vs. Camilla Orton for the WWE Women's Championship. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H in a Street Fight. Randy and Matthew Orton vs. Jeff and Matt Hardy for the World Tag Team Championships in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. Finally, John Cena vs. Eric Barringer for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Eric laughed when the crowd cheered more for the TLC match than his own. There was no doubt that, no matter what the outcome was, the two pairs of brothers would steal the show. But there was more on his mind than getting shown up by his two best friends; there was also the issue of whether or not John Cena was being sincere. In the hotel lobby last night, Barringer recognized _that_ look on Matt's face while John was talking to him. It was the same look that Matt had when he had heard Batista's plea over the phone the week before Dave came back from injury.

_"I guess I'll find out tonight."_

_"He'll be fine. Believe me."_

Barringer turned around to see Randy and Matt, already in their ring gear which was ... green. "Why the green?", asked Eric, a little surprised to see them matching with his own outfit.

"Eh ...", began Randy, "... I don't like green myself, but Matt said we should show some solidarity out there just in case Austin decides to pair us up again. Besides, I think we owe all the support we can muster to the next World champ."

"Stop ... it's not for sure yet. I've still got one more match."

"That you'll trounce him in!", yelled Matt. "With what we did earlier this week, all three of us should have all the confidence and strength in the world! We're prepared for what's about to go down both tonight and Sunday night, and you should be too. Besides, you better be since Dave's going to be the #1 contender."

The sound of breaking glass interrupted their conversation, and, like clockwork, Stone Cold Steve Austin walked down to the stage. After introducing him to the crowd, Lilian handed Austin the mic and left the ring.

"Last week, I had one hell of a barnburner planned. It was supposed to be Barringer and the two Ortons against Cena and the two Hardys. We didn't get that match. So, here's what ole' Stone Cold's got planned for tonight. RAW's gonna have a TLC night."

The fans all simultaneously went crazy; a TLC night could only mean one thing: lots of tables, ladders, and chairs.

"We're gonna have ourselves three special matches: a Tables match, a Ladder match, and a Chairs match. First, it will be Matthew Orton versus Jeff Hardy in a Tables match!"

Matt pumped his fist in the air, knowing that getting a chance to wreck Hardy before the actual TLC match would be a _huge_ opportunity.

"Then...", Stone Cold continued, "... their brothers, Randy Orton and Matt Hardy will be in a Ladder match ... and it will be for the Intercontinental title!"

Randy shifted the Intercontinental title belt onto his shoulder. Albeit not as happy as his brother, Randy knew that he had the situation under control. Matt pounded fists with his brother as they all turned to the monitor once again.

"And then, if you haven't figured it out already, we'll have a match between John Cena and Eric Barringer in which they can use all the chairs they want!"

Eric confidently stood, cracking his knuckles as both brothers slapped him on the back. Although the amount of ill will Barringer had towards Cena was lowered slightly, Eric had no problem letting himself go when it came to a match between him and John. As soon Austin left the ring and RAW went to commercial, Amy burst in the room and drug Eric back outside to the hallway. Randy and Matt watched as their best friend was yanked helplessly out of the room.

"What's the big deal?", asked Eric quickly. "Did you win the lottery or something?"

"No!", Amy answered happily. "I just got through talking with Camilla about something that I talked to Lilian about earlier this week. I've been thinking a lot about what you said last week, about ... being a family. And ... the girls really like the idea. Eric ... you're my best friend. And my boyfriend. And ... and I think ..."

"That you'd want me as your husband too?"

Amy smiled and bit her lip in embarrassment. "I always think its funny when you complete my sentences for me."

Eric didn't want to wait any longer. He knew then.

"Then maybe you can complete one of mine."

Barringer got on one knee just as the door to the locker room swung open. Randy, Matt, Camilla, Shawn, and Dave all poked their heads out to see what was going on. Camilla covered her mouth and squealed, latching onto Matt and giving him a big hug. The brothers both smiled and were satisfied knowing that their best friend had found someone that he could truly ask the question to. Even Dave was impressed, shaking his head in disbelief.

_"Now why the hell can't I find someone?"_, he thought to himself.

The most shocked one was HBK. For a split second, Shawn wanted to stop Eric, but realized that it wasn't a good idea. Both Matt & Camilla and Randy & Lilian had gotten engaged within a short time of meeting or re-meeting each other, and those relationships weren't going to collapse anytime soon. Michaels was sure of it.

_"Atta boy"_, thought Shawn. _"Titles don't matter much when you've got someone you love right next to ya."_

Eric smiled at everyone's reaction, and then looked back up at Amy.

"I don't have the ring yet ... so this will have to make do." Eric pulled out a DX wristband from his right pocket and slipped it over Amy's right hand. "Amy, will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

Amy giggled like a little girl as she nodded and brought Eric up to his feet for a kiss. The five people standing in the doorway all started to applaud, especially Shawn. HBK went up to Amy and gave her a hug, then shook hands with Eric before giving his protégé a hug and a slap on the back. Randy and Matt came over and did the same before saying ...

"Looks like we've got another wedding to look forward to."

* * *

_Next time, TLC Night gets in full swing with Matt taking on Jeff Hardy first. Also, will John prove himself to gain Eric's respect again? And can Cena manage to get by Amy, Shawn, and Dave?_

_I'm telling you right now; there's only a few more chapters to go. Hope you enjoyed this one!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	77. Momentum

_Don't worry, guys. Double RKO will spawn a sequel or however many it takes to bring this story up to the current year of 2008._

_Anyway, let's get back to 2003. The Table match, the Ladder match, and the Chair match all are coming up next. Will Randy manage to keep the Intercontinental title around his waist and off of Matt Hardy? Can Matt slam Jeff Hardy's body through a table? And can John somehow manage to prove himself to Eric?_

_Here we go!_

* * *

'Burn in My Light' blared over the speakers and the golden pyro illuminated Matt, who was posing to the crowd. With everything that happened in the previous week behind him, Orton felt like nothing could stand in his way, even if that 'nothing' was Jeff Hardy. As he walked down the ramp, Matt still remembered how Hardy stole his first chance at the World Tag Team Championships. Not letting his emotions get the best of him, Orton started to take the tables out from under the ring even before Jeff Hardy stepped out onto the stage. Four tables awaited Hardy by the time he made it down to the squared circle.

And then, the bell rang.

Taking a page from Hardy's own playbook, Matt rebounded himself off the ropes and leaped over the top rope in a leap of faith, knocking Hardy down to the ground. Orton quickly rolled to his feet and threw Jeff back into the ring. He thought about ending the match quickly; all it would take was a quick powerbomb through one of the four tables.

_"Nah"_, Matt thought to himself. _"Hardy needs a little bit of a beating before I let him off the hook. No disqualifications ... no rules ..."_

Matt rolled out of the ring and looked under the ring for more weapons. Finding the very weapon he had used earlier in the week, Orton drug a sledgehammer into the ring. With Jeff still woozy from the earlier attack, Matt set Hardy prone on one of the tables and climbed up to the top turnbuckle nearest to him. Standing tall, Matt swung the sledgehammer over his head and aimed right for Jeff's chest.

But Hardy managed to roll out of the way. Matt landed on his feet, but the sledgehammer ran straight through the table, missing its target. For the moment, Orton discarded the sledgehammer and pounced on his prey, ramming his shoulder into Hardy's midsection. Grabbing a portion of the broken table, Matt swung wildly at Jeff, missing with each swing as the rainbow-haired warrior dodged Orton's attacks. Hardy managed to land a kick to the stomach, and set up the Twist of Fate. Jeff started to go through the motion, but Matt managed to reverse it, wrapping one hand around Hardy's neck. In an unusual maneuver, Matt lifted Jeff up for a chokeslam. The lights from the flashing cameras illuminated Hardy moving in the air as Matt positioned himself to slam Jeff through a table.

But Hardy managed to land a well-placed kick in Matt's midsection. Orton dropped Hardy, coughing so much that he dropped to his knees. Jeff took the opportunity to try a springboard moonsault off the nearby ropes, connecting hard with Orton's head. Jeff then lifted Orton to his feet and signaled again for the Twist of Fate; this time, he received no resistance. Matt's face was planted firmly on the canvas. Randy and Eric tried their best to urge their comrade to get up, but had no success. Meanwhile, Hardy lifted a limp Orton up onto one of the tables, and the whole arena started to boo as Jeff started to climb up to the turnbuckle for the Swanton Bomb.

But Matt was just playing possum.

Even though he was half-dizzy, Orton managed to lift himself up and shake the top rope enough to cause Jeff to be in a lot of pain. The whole arena moaned in agony but started to cheer again once Matt positioned Jeff in the Tree of Woe. Hardy hung upside down, his legs locked in the top turnbuckle as he watched his opponent move tables to clear a path straight to him. Matt positioned himself across the ring in the opposite corner and ran full-speed at Hardy, launching a missile dropkick that landed squarely on Jeff's chest. Hardy dropped to the floor, but was picked right back up. For good measure, Orton rammed his shoulder into Hardy's midsection, knocking all the air out of Jeff's body.

But no one saw Matt Hardy creeping up behind Orton with a chair in hand. The older Hardy smacked Orton in the back of the head twice to get him down to the canvas, two resounding 'thwacks' filling the arena with sound. Hardy helped his brother position Orton on the table again, this time with Matt Hardy holding him down. Jeff managed to climb up to the top of the turnbuckle, getting ready for another attempt at his Swanton Bomb. The flashes of the cameras once again erupted as Hardy jumped off the turnbuckle ...

... and hit his target. Orton's body was forced through the table, all of Jeff's weight crushing his stomach and chest. Lilian reluctantly announced Jeff Hardy as the winner just as both of the Hardys picked up Matt's body and set him prone on another table. This time, Matt Hardy decided to go up top and delivered a flying leg drop onto Orton, a loud crack echoing through the arena. Lilian cringed at seeing Matt's body contorted in the way it was; in addition, Orton wasn't moving at all.

_"Where the hell are you, Randy?"_, Lilian thought to herself. _"Surely he'd be on his way by now!"_

But all that was answered when Randy burst through the curtain, a steel chair of his own in hand. Sliding into the ring flawlessly, Randy ducked an incoming chair shot from Matt Hardy and retaliated with a shot straight to Hardy's head. Jeff tried to grab a piece of a broken table to defend himself with, but Hardy was too slow; Randy knocked Jeff out with another well-placed whack of his weapon. Randy saw his brother pulling himself up with the top rope and quickly went over to aid him.

"You alright?!", screamed out a mildly panicked Randy. "You weren't even moving earlier!"

"You get ... you get used to being put through tables after ... after the fourth or fifth time", Matt responded through gritted teeth and intermittent grunts. "I was definitely out there for a second. I don't remember much from the time I saw Jeff flying towards me and when I saw you hitting Jeff with the chair."

Randy put one of his brother's arms around his shoulder to support some of his weight as they watched the injured Hardys make their way up the ramp. Matt had Jeff's still unconscious body on his shoulders and angrily pointed at Randy while yelling; the Ortons assumed he was just sputtering nonsense and making empty threats concerning the Ladder match coming up.

"You better thank your lucky stars that our match is the last match on the card tonight!", yelled Randy into the microphone after Lilian tossed one to him. "I'm about to prove to you and to all of these people that you're nothing but a spineless coward! Both of you!"

Matt snatched away the microphone from Randy to speak a piece of his mind.

"And ... and if you try ... and if you try something like this in Randy's match", Matt eked out, "I'll make _sure_ that neither of you make it to SummerSlam! If this is all you can muster ... putting me through two tables ... just _think_ of what we will do to you!"

* * *

Randy helped Matt stagger back to the locker room; the younger Orton was groggy from the brutal attack he experienced. Randy thought Matt had a couple of broken ribs, but Matt didn't think so. The brothers argued back and forth about symptoms as they approached the door, until Camilla sprung out from behind it.

"Is he okay?!", she squealed out, obviously concerned. "Do you need ice?! Shouldn't you be sitting down?! Why are you ..."

"Calm down!", Matt managed to utter. "I'm not seriously injured. They're not broken ... just bruised, maybe. I just need to sit down, that's all. Stop freaking out, okay?"

Camilla took Matt from Randy and helped him over to a bench in the far corner of the locker room. Just a tad bit concerned about his brother and a whole bit angry at Matt Hardy, Randy went over and sat next to Eric, who was already in his ring gear.

"I'm up next", Eric said while putting on a couple of DX wristbands. "After Shawn and Dave beat the hell out of Taker and Triple H." Barringer expected some sort of response out of Randy, but there was no such thing. Eric realized Orton was staring at his younger brother and his sister-in-law.

"He'll be okay, right?", Eric asked Randy uneasily.

"Yeah. Yeah, no doubt about that", Randy replied, finally breaking from his trance. "I'm just coming up with ways on how to take Hardy apart later on."

"You shouldn't do that now. Wouldn't that take all the fun out of SummerSlam? Just focus on winning the match and keeping that belt, and you two will get your proper revenge on Sunday. Besides, don't you want to be the Orton with two belts? Don't let your anger get in front of you right now. You might regret it."

Randy turned to Eric with disbelief on his face. "Since when did you become the fountain of advice?", Randy said as he punched Eric in the shoulder. "What do you plan to do to Cena out there? I saw them loading a crapload of chairs up towards the ramp."

"Actually ... I don't think I'm going to use them. I just want to get this match over with and look forward to Sunday."

"You're kidding me, right? You're going to pass up the opportunity to weaken your opponent the week before your World title match? Friend or not, I would wreck Cena up with a few good shots of steel."

"So say Matt would be your opponent for an upcoming World title match. You'd smash your own brother over the head with a chair a couple of times just to get a better shot at the title?"

"Whoa ...", Randy said hesitantly, putting his hands in the air, "... that's an unfair comparison. I'd maybe slap a sleeper hold a few more times the week before the match to soften him up like that, but I wouldn't do something like you're suggesting."

"Which means you still don't have any faith whatsoever in Cena, do you?"

The jovial mood was immediately soured by Eric's comment. Randy's smile and joking demeanor instantly vanished and was replaced with one of skepticism and doubt. Randy's eyes sunk to the ground as he started to crack his knuckles.

"Not a shred, Eric. Not ... a ... shred."

"I have faith. Your brother has faith. Just ..."

The sound of a knock at the door interrupted Eric's sentence. Now wrapped in bandages from chest to his stomach, Matt got up to answer it. Upon seeing who was on the other side, Amy and Camilla leapt to their feet and stood behind Matt.

"It's alright. He's cool now. Come on in, John."

Amy and Camilla backed up a couple of steps to allow John Cena to enter the room. Eric came up and stood beside Matt, a look of cautious optimism on his face. The only person in the room not right by the door, Randy, had both of his eyes fixated on Cena like a hawk does a mouse before swiping down to snatch it off the bare ground.

"John", began Eric, "I don't want to use the chairs tonight. Just shove them all to ringside and have a regular old match."

"Eric ..."

"**SHUT YOUR MOUTH, CENA!**"

Amy stepped in between Eric and John, her face almost the same shade of red as her hair.

"I don't know _what_ possessed Matt and Eric to take you back ... but if you stab my fiancée in the back again, I will make sure that you don't have a career to stand on! _I'll_ take one of those chairs and bash your skull in just like I did when you smashed that chain into the back of Eric's head! Don't you remember that Monday night? The night where you tied the series up two to two? Of course you don't ... because _I _knocked those memories clean out of your head! And I'll do it again if I have to!"

Amy's emotional outpouring caught Eric and Matt by surprise. John knew he had it coming.

"I ... I don't have anything to say to that", Cena replied. "I can apologize all I want, but until I do something that proves my worth to you, I'm just the same sack of crap that turned my back on you before. But I assure you ... and this isn't an empty promise like Hunter made ... that I will do everything in my power to prove myself to you."

"You damn better will", came a pair of voices from behind the group. Cena turned around to see a victorious Shawn Michaels and Dave Batista standing in front of him. John looked down to see Dave's hands trembling.

"Leave him alone, Batista", said Matt, feeling the aura of anger and malice radiating from Dave. "He knows what will happen to him if he screws up again. Now, I believe in second chances. I gave you one, Batista. I think it's time for Cena to have his."

Amy was going to say something, but Eric stopped her from doing so. She was astonished that Eric would have some sort of hope for John's attitude after what happened in the last month or so, but Eric's calm visage eased her nerves somewhat.

"I hope you know what you're doing", whispered Amy to her future husband. "If he does _anything ..._"

"We'll be fine." Those words were all Amy heard as Cena and Barringer walked out of the locker room and headed down towards the curtain. Upon reaching it, John and Eric looked at each other as Lilian was finishing up her in-between match pep talk to the fans.

"What made you change your mind?"

"When I got my ego under control. Wanting one thing more than anything in the world is one thing. Doing whatever it takes to get it is another. When I finally realized that that path was the wrong one, I changed."

"It doesn't take much, does it?"

Cena looked up as he heard 'Basic Thuganomics' start to play. Before he walked through the curtain, he looked back and said ...

"No ... it doesn't."

* * *

The group was eagerly watching the Barringer/Cena match on the monitor. The earlier truce between the two of not using the chairs had held so far, despite the disappointment from the General Manager and the crowd, who really wanted to hear metal against flesh. Matt made his way over to sit next to Randy, despite his limited movement due to Camilla's overly tight bandaging job.

"These ribs aren't broken, dammit. They hurt, but Camilla's just overreacting. It's not like I'm writhing in pain or anything."

"Want me to _make_ them hurt?", Randy said jokingly. "Don't be hard on Camilla. She's just doing what naturally comes to her when she sees her husband get smashed through two tables. It's like me getting angry when I see that happen. Do you get mad at me when _I_ try to care for you?"

"Well ... no, but ..."

"Then shut up about it. Just focus on what's coming up. I'm counting on you to come out if Jeff decides to interfere. Even if he doesn't, I may want you to come out anyway and grind Matt Hardy's face into the canvas. Eric said to wait until SummerSlam, but I don't want to."

"Help me get out of these bandages and I'll do anything you tell me to. I can't reach the end of it."

"Are you sure? Camilla's gonna raise hell."

"I don't care. Just get these things off me."

While Randy assisted his brother, the rest of the group was watching the stage as Chris Jericho's theme music started to play. John had the STFU locked in on Eric, but loosened his grip as Jericho made his way down towards the ring. Y2J grabbed two chairs and climbed into the ring, prompting Cena to get to both feet.

_"He's still clueless that I don't give a crap about him ..."_

Jericho threw one of the chairs to Cena and put the other one under Eric's head, putting Barringer face down against cold steel. Y2J stepped back and egged his supposed leader on to execute the conchairto, and, for a moment, it looked like Cena was actually going to do it.

_"Time to end the charade. No more ego. No more Chain Gang. Just me and my family."_

Cena raised the chair over his head as if he was aiming for Eric's head, but turned mid-swing and slammed the chair into Chris Jericho's head. The crowd was pleasantly surprised as Y2J hit the canvas, Cena throwing the chair to the outside. Picking Jericho up and putting Y2J on his shoulders, the Doctor of Thuganomics FUed his former crony over the top rope. The crowd exploded, much like an atom bomb, in a wave of applause and cheers that blanketed the arena. Cena walked over to the corner nearest Lilian and asked for a microphone; Lilian happily obliged.

"Jericho ... you're a mistake. This whole 'Chain Gang' thing was a mistake. I don't think that it needs to be said that those pieces of crap Hardy boys are mistakes! Torrie Wilson ... I'm not _even_ going to touch that. I'd probably get infected or something!"

Most of the fans, including Amy and Camilla backstage, had a hearty laugh while Torrie was dumbfounded in her locker room.

"Then I have to admit that I am a mistake. For the last month and a half, I've lived with the consequences of a decision that I made. I decided to turn my back on the people that I called 'family'. Hell, I betrayed the man that I considered a brother. Why? Because I let my ego get the best of me. I thought that I could reach the top of the business by breaking off on my own and getting the top prize on RAW by any means necessary."

A round of boos came from the crowd, and John paused to let it sink in.

"What I didn't realize is that I was already at the top. I had part of the World Tag Team Championships and I was given the opportunity to become the World Heavyweight Champion. I had nowhere else to go, especially with Dave Batista, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, Matthew Orton, and this man here ...", Cena pointed down at the canvas, "... Eric Barringer at my side. I already had a 'Chain Gang' and I'm going to do everything in my power to ... _**whoa**!"_

Eric hadn't forgotten that the match was still going on, and rolled up an unaware Cena with a schoolboy pin.

"1, 2, 3!"

John got to his feet and stared amazed at the man in front of him. Eric asked for his own microphone after Lilian announced him as the winner.

"You know, John, you really oughta pay attention to the match. But aside from that, you saved me from a conchairto. You rejected each member that you've come to be in league with over the last month and a half. And I'm sure you made Amy and Camilla laugh back there when you took a stab at Torrie. All those combined ... I think I'm cool with you."

Eric extended his hand to John, who couldn't really believe what was happening.

"I want to have a good match at SummerSlam."

Cena accepted the handshake, getting a positive reaction from the fans, the King and J.R., Lilian, and the guys backstage. Even Randy, Camilla, Amy, and Batista all cracked a smile. The RAW main event for SummerSlam ... the World Heavyweight Championship match between John Cena and Eric Barringer ... would be a contest between two friends.

* * *

"The following contest is a Ladder match ...", Lilian announced, "... and it is for the Intercontinental Championship!"

As Matt Hardy made his way down to the ring, the fans ringside were getting a little rowdy, especially Michael, Adrian, and Travis, Matt Orton's three friends who always managed to make it to every single Monday Night RAW. Why were they getting rowdy? Matthew Orton himself took a seat in between the three friends, hiding a lead pipe under his seat.

"Dude!", Adrian screamed out. "You gonna take it to Hardy tonight?"

"Shh ...", said Matt dressed in street clothes, happy to be out of those bandages, "... you gotta keep it down. This is supposed to be a surprise."

'Burn in My Light' started to play and everyone cheered for Randy as he posed at the top of the stage. Even Matt got up to his feet and was reminded of the time he saw his brother on the stage that first day in San Antonio. With the Intercontinental title suspended above the ring, both Matt Hardy and Randy Orton looked above the ring.

"Ready for me to take the first belt you're gonna lose this week, Orton?", asked Hardy.

"You don't have a chance and you don't even know it."

The bell rang, and Hardy dove at Orton, but met nothing but air. Randy moved out of the way and threw Hardy over the top rope towards the floor, with Hardy landing in front of Randy's brother. Randy moved down to the floor and rammed Hardy's face into the rail, right in front of Matt, Michael, Adrian, and Travis. As Matt Hardy brought himself to his feet, he met eyes with the fan right in front of him.

It was Matthew Orton.

The younger Orton whipped the lead pipe out from under his chair and smacked Matt Hardy in the head with it, which was enough to knock Randy's opponent out. Matt climbed over the guardrail, and the brothers Orton started to set up a ladder in the middle of the ring. The crowd alerted the brothers as Jeff Hardy ran down to the ring. Randy turned around and met Jeff with an RKO, knocking the other Hardy out just as quickly as Matt did Matt Hardy.

Randy and Matt met eyes and bumped chests, pumped up that they had successfully achieved revenge on their opponents. As Randy climbed the ladder to get his belt, Matt hopped up to pose on the turnbuckle, taking his shirt off and throwing it into the crowd, getting some whistles from the women in the crowd. As Randy grabbed the belt and the bell rang, Matt climbed up the opposite side of the ladder and the brothers celebrated at the top. After a set of high fives and slaps on the back, both men climbed down and ascended the stage. As RAW came to a close, the brothers posed at the top to their golden pyro.

"Ready to do this again on Sunday?"

"You bet your ass I am."

* * *

_As the group prepares for the biggest party of the summer, Matt and Randy head to San Antonio to pay respect to Matt's parents. Then, Amy and Eric discuss preparations for their own wedding, and John Cena starts to acclimate himself back with the group. Finally, Lilian, Amy, Camilla, Shawn, Dave, John, Eric, Randy, and Matt all arrive at Phoenix, Arizona for SummerSlam._

_Hope you enjoyed it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	78. Lineage

_God, I'm sorry this one took so long. I wasn't happy with what I had written and redid sections numerous times. But, on with the show._

_On the plane ride back to St. Louis, John Cena tries to break the ice and fit himself back into the group. Then __while at the Orton household, Amy and Eric discuss how their wedding will occur. __Afterwards, __Eric, Randy, and Matt take a trip to San Antonio to see the grave site of Matt's parents.  
_

_Here we go!_

* * *

John felt like he was stepping into enemy territory getting onto the same plane as the family he once rejected. Strangely enough, Amy's hatred towards him had nearly evaporated; after witnessing Cena reject Jericho and save Eric from a massive beatdown, Amy felt like she could trust the man she once despised.

_"I'm the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet"_, Cena thought to himself. _"I let go of people that cared about me for absolutely no reason at all, and they want to take me back after me just asking. I **never** want to go through something like that again. Not again."_

"Guys ... I ... I don't ..."

"John, don't feel obligated to explain yourself again", Batista said from the seat behind Cena. "If there's anything I learned from when I asked to be let back into the family, its that these people don't want to hear you belt your heart out with every conceivable apology known to man. Let your actions dictate what you want to say to them."

"He's right", spoke up Randy. "We learned our mistake from when we let Hunter back in. He gave a great speech, apologizing to Shawn that night he came back. But what did he _do_? Go back to his old roots and started to do anything to get his stupid big gold belt."

"And now its up to me to teach him a lesson", Shawn interjected. "Don't let one of us teach you a lesson in the future, Cena."

John took off his cap and scratched his head. Looking over to Amy, Camilla, and Lilian on the other side of the aisle, Randy and Matt sitting next to him on the right, and Eric, Dave, and Shawn sitting behind him, Cena smiled and hatched a plan.

"Then I'm throwing you guys a party when we get back to the house. Barbecue, dessert, drinks ... the works, man."

"You know, you're going about it the wrong way", commented Matt. "You don't have to bribe us with ..."

"This isn't a bribe, yo! This is just me wantin' to give back to the family. Nothin' more. Besides, Shawn and Dave barbecue all the time. Don't you two want a week off?"

The Heartbreak Kid and the Animal looked at each other, heads cocked to the side.

"You know ...", HBK began, "... it could be good just to sit down near the pool and take a load off."

"I'm not arguing with that. Alright, John. You can have the chef's hat this week."

"Word."

The flight attendant came by and served everyone drinks and peanuts. As coke cans and little packages were opened, John decided to open conversation.

"So ... Eric, you and Amy are a couple? You were all over each other when we were getting on the plane."

"Yep. We're more than a couple. I actually proposed to her right before the night started."

"... you're getting married? Holy crap! I've _got_ to get me a girlfriend. Matt & Camilla are married, you & Amy and Randy & Lilian are getting married, Shawn's been married ... what about you Dave? You've never really spoken about somethin' like this."

Everyone turned their heads to look at Batista, wondering what could come of Cena's question. Dave smirked halfheartedly and looked down at the floor, avoiding eye contact.

"I've ...", Dave hesitated, "... I've been there. Twice. I actually have kids."

"You're a **dad**?", stuttered Matt, wide eyed and mouth hanging wide open. "How ... how old are you?"

"Thirty four. My two daughters are named Keilani and Athena from my first wife, Glenda. I love my girls to death ... but ... I just ... I just don't see them that often. Around October 1998, I married again ... this time, to a beautiful women named Angie. I loved her just as much as Amy loves Eric or Camilla loves Matt or Lilian loves Randy, but, as luck would have it, she said that we couldn't be together anymore. Right before Evolution started, we divorced. I still love her, but she can't say the same to me. As a matter of fact, this symbol ...", Dave rolled up his sleeve to display a Japanese Kanji character on his bicep, "... means _angel_. I got it in tribute to her."

"Wow ...", the younger Orton muttered. "You _never_ talk about this."

"Talking about the woman you loved with all your heart when all it brings back are memories of the day she rejected you ... it isn't exactly the best thing to bring up in conversation."

"Then lets change the subject", interrupted Cena hastily, realizing that he hit a nerve. "I wanna lay out an open challenge to you, Matt."

The younger Orton's ears perked up and Matt spun around in his seat.

"Oh yeah? What's the challenge, rapper boy?"

"Rapper boy? You're just asking for it, Orton. When we get home, I want your ass in a match. We _still_ haven't had a rematch since your first match in the company and I _know_ you want to throw down."

"Hold on, John", Randy interrupted. "I don't want Matt getting injured before Sunday. Come to think of it, wouldn't you want to be in good shape for your match? Matt could put a serious beating on ya. Although I don't think Eric would mind if Matt smacked you upside the head a couple of times."

"No, no, no ... hold on", Eric said, albeit with a smile on his face. "You're sort of right; I _wouldn't_ mind an upper hand during the match on Sunday. _But_ ... I want to keep this fair. So, I'm not gonna let you have this match."

John and Matt sunk back in their seats, dejected looks on their faces. Randy seemed victorious, and closed his eyes to take a nap.

"_Unless_ ..."

Cena and both Ortons spun around to look at Barringer, John and Matt with eagerness and Randy with incredulity.

"Unless you put me and Randy into the match. John and Randy against me and Matt. I'll do that."

"Wait!", came a female voice. Amy got everyone's attention. "How about you guys add me and Camilla to the mix? Make it a mixed tag team match. Me on one side and her on the other?"

"Sounds good to me", replied Camilla. "We haven't had a match at all for a couple of weeks now. It would be a good warmup for Sunday. The only bad thing is that only one of us would be tagging together with our man."

"I'll play you rock, paper, scissors for it."

"Wait! Hold on!"

Randy's voice interrupted the conversation this time, full of worry and hesitation.

"No! I'm not going to allow this! We've all got matches on Sunday, and I'm not going to let any of us have even the slightest possibility of getting injured."

Matt let out a slight chuckle, enough to draw Randy's attention. Orton looked at his younger brother with shaking eyes, Randy slowly drawing a scowl on his face.

"Do you actually _want_ us to lose on Sunday? If you haven't noticed, we're the only ones in this little skirmish that'll come out worse no matter what! Eric and John are in the match together ... okay, fine. Amy and Camilla likewise. But us? There are no Hardys. Just you and me. Granted, I would be fine kicking your ass all over the ring if we didn't have a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match this Sunday at SummerSlam. No matter what you say or what you think, I am not letting either of us in this match whether you like it or not."

Matt grinned again, looking up to the ceiling of the plane.

"You're just scared of me handing you your ass on a silver platter once we get home. You know that, no matter what happens between now and Sunday, we're going to win those tag titles. We've waited too long and worked too hard over the last year and a half to give this chance up. So ... why not do what we've been doing for a while now? You want to kick John's ass. I _know _you want to kick mine. What do you say, bro? Oh wait ... wait, I forgot about something. You still have _my_ Intercontinental title."

"Guys ...", Camilla interrupted, "... not on the plane, please? People are staring at you!"

"Dudes, I didn't want this to turn into something like this", Cena added. "Let's just forget it and focus on Sunday, alright? Jeez ... you two hotheads take this to the damn extreme sometimes. I'm sorry I ever brought it up."

"No ...", Randy said, nodding his head. The visible signs of Randy's anger disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. "... Matt's right. No matter what happens, he and I will win those titles. So, if you guys want this match, I'm fine with it. No hard feelings. I'm not against it." The older brother's red face and shaking eyes vanished during this little talk, but Matt could still sense Randy's heightened aggression.

"_You can't hide from me. I know you're still pissed off."_

"_Sure, you tried to make a fool of me in front of everyone here. But I **know **that I'm going to put you to sleep and end that match as soon as it starts. If you ever want a chance at __**my**__ title ... you're going to have to put me to sleep. I don't care if you make me tap out or pin me, you've got to put me out little man. Only then will I even think about asking Austin to put you in a match against me."_

"Consider it done then. Me and Eric against you and John."

"Don't forget us", Camilla popped in. "Not only do you get to face your brother, but you get to face your wife too! I get to make you tap out again!"

"Great. Just great."

* * *

Randy and Matt tried to outwit each other and land a cheap shot several times before they got home. Randy attempted a sleeper hold on the way out of the terminal, but Matt lifted the back of his leg into Randy's crotch, freeing himself from the hold and earning a few laughs from seeing his brother wince on the floor. Matt tried to retaliate as they were getting into their van, but Randy lifted Matt up on his back and ran backwards into the van's back door, freeing himself and blowing the wind out of Matt. Camilla and Lilian sat in between the two brothers in the backseat of the van to prevent any further mishaps from occurring. But as soon as Dave drove the van into the driveway, Randy and Matt jumped out and started attacking each other. John, Eric, Amy, and Camilla all stood next to the van as Shawn and Dave walked into the house, not wanting have any of this.

"Do we _really_ want to get involved in this?", John said, having second thoughts. "I mean ... I didn't intend for this to happen."

"Ah, come on", replied Camilla. "Its not like this doesn't happen every couple of days to begin with. Besides, I need the warmup. You coming to change, Amy?"

"Right behind ya", the future Mrs. Barringer said as the two women walked into the house. John and Eric looked at the two brothers, who were slowly making their way over towards the ring in the backyard while trying to gain the upper hand in a grappling struggle on the grass. Cena and Barringer shrugged and went over to peel the brothers off each other, getting whacked themselves in the process. The two managed to keep Randy and Matt apart long enough for Amy and Camilla to come outside in more appropriate gear.

But the one thing that calmed Randy down was seeing Lilian walk out in a ref's shirt exposing her midriff. Orton immediately stopped struggling and couldn't take his eyes off his fiancée. Lilian walked up to her future husband and punched him playfully in the shoulder.

"Shouldn't you be wearing something a little more sexy?", she said suggestively. "I want to see my man in wrestling attire, not jeans and a shirt. Go inside and get changed."

"Yes, ma'am", Randy said with a big smile on his face. While Randy walked into the house, Matt finally calmed down enough for Eric to release him.

"He better hurry the hell up", Matt sputtered out. "If he takes too long, I'm going to go in there after ..."

He was interrupted by someone slapping him on the ass. Camilla came out from behind him clad in an orange bikini top and matching swimming trunks. Just as his brother was soothed by seeing Lilian, Matt's anger vanished.

"I'm not the only girl who wants to see her man in his full glory. Get in there and change. And if you two start fighting in there, I'm chasing you down and making you tap out, okay?"

Matt didn't hesitate to agree and rushed to the van to get his bag before hurrying inside the house. Eric looked over to his fiancée, wondering if he should do the same.

"Just take your shirt off", mentioned Amy nonchalantly. "That's all I care about."

Eric shrugged and complied while John did the same.

"It's times like these where I'm glad that I just wrestle in shorts and sneakers", Cena commented. John, Eric, Amy, and Lilian all chatted it up for a while until they all heard a commotion coming from the house. After a few moments, they could hear both Matt and Randy screaming. Eric started to laugh and covered his face with his hand.

"What?", asked Lilian. "What's so funny?"

"Randy and Matt are idiots ... they started fighting at the top of the stairs. Camilla made good on her promise, tripped them up, and she's got a half Boston crab locked in on both of them."

Amy and Lilian started to giggle, but John looked clueless, staring at the side of the house.

"Is there a window I'm not seeing this through?", he asked. "How can you tell, Eric?"

"Oh ... you don't know about it, do you?", Eric replied, a small smile creeping on his face.

"Know about what? I've been out of the loop for about a month now, dawg. You know that."

"You know how they could talk to each other and read the other's mind?"

"Yeah", replied John. "That freaky ESP crap or something."

"Well, I can do it too now."

John looked at his opponent for SummerSlam like he was crazy. "Wait ... _what?!_"

"It's a long story", mentioned Eric. "I'll tell you after the match. Camilla's got them coming out the door."

Sure enough, Camilla came out of the back door, dusting herself off. Both Randy and Matt followed slowly, slightly limping from Camilla's submission hold. After a few minutes of whining from the boys, all six competitors were finally in the ring, dressed and ready to go. The brothers looked a little worse for wear; Randy had a large bruise developing on his left pectoral muscle and Matt looked to have the beginnings of a black eye. Both men were foaming at the mouth waiting for Lilian to start the match, but John stepped in.

"Dude, I suggested the match. The _least_ you can do is let me and Matt start out. After all, that's what was it supposed to be: just me and him."

Randy reluctantly looked back at John, then back around at Matt. The older brother locked eyes with his younger counterpart as if they were two rams ready to buck heads and lock horns, then started to step onto the apron. Matt sneered and shook his head in amazement.

_"I'll get your little coward ass later, you son of a bitch."_

_"You better be glad John's taking my place or I would have put you to sleep before you could even **think** about stopping me!"_

Eric rolled his eyes and motioned for Lilian to start the match, who didn't have any qualms against that. John and Matt immediately locked up while Eric and Amy leaned back and let their heart rates calm down.

"A little touchy, aren't they?", Amy asked her fiancée before running her hand down Eric's back. "You're not gonna turn out like that when we're married, are you?"

"Me? No, no, no ... if there's any sort of difference between me and those two hotheads is that I'm cool and collected most of the time. They rush to things and I don't."

"And yet you asked me to marry you only a few months into our relationship?"

"Well ... I ... but ..."

"Yeah, yeah, hot stuff. I got you on that one."

Their conversation was interrupted by Matt's incessant screaming out for a tag. Orton had his arm outstretched and could have tagged out if Amy or Eric were paying attention. However, John got to Randy's hand first, and Randy drug his Matt back to the center of the ring where he started to pound mercilessly on his little brother. Eric and Amy recoiled, but went back to what they were talking about.

"There _is_ one thing that's been on my mind lately", mentioned Amy. "I want to know when our wedding's going to be."

"I may have an answer to that", Eric said after watching Matt get an RKO. "Randy and I have been talking about that and he suggested that you and I have the same wedding date as them."

"Wait ... a dual wedding?", Amy asked skeptically.

"It's actually not a bad idea", popped in Lilian, who was kind of letting Randy do whatever he wanted. "We've talked about it and we think it would be great. You know, become one big happy family all at once."

Matt started to scream behind him as Camilla had his own Texas Cloverleaf locked on on him. Lilian, Amy, Randy, John, and Eric all looked at Orton and started to laugh as he tapped out.

"Yeah ...", commented Eric. "... one big, happy family."

* * *

A van full of nine people pulled up to the entrance of a cemetery in San Antonio, Texas early Friday evening, with the sun just across the horizon. As each person got out, the setting sun cast each of their shadows over the graves, but two advanced out towards the center of the cemetery. Matt inched just slightly ahead of his brother up to a gravestone with the name 'Pryce' over it. Oddly enough, Orton carried a case of beer and a pair of sunglasses.

"You couldn't just bring flowers?", asked Randy, standing a couple feet behind his brother.

"Mom didn't care for flowers, and Dad hated them", Matt replied, trying to keep tears from spilling. "Why not give them something they both enjoyed? Dad _loved_ his beer and you would never see Mom without a pair of sunglasses on, even in the middle of the night."

Randy shrugged and watched Matt put the two items down next to the stone.

"Hi guys", Matt said, his eyes switching between the two names on the gravestone. "It's ... it's been a while. The last time I saw you two was that night I left San Antonio with Randy. Oh ... that reminds me. Guys, this is Randy. This is my brother. You got a glimpse of him as I was leaving that night."

The older Orton uneasily gave a little wave, obviously a little unnerved at Matt talking to an inanimate object.

"I know you two are up there looking down at me. I've worked my ass off to make a good living with my brother and my family. I haven't ... I haven't ... _goddammit_!"

Matt looked up to the sky and started to sob, falling to his knees and screaming. Randy took a step back, a little surprised at his brother's sudden outburst, but stepped over to try to stop him.

"Dude, stop it ... come on ... man up and stop crying."

"You ... you don't know ... you don't know what the hell I'm going through right now! My parents are dead! I wasn't there for them! I was _never _there for them! I wasn't there to save them!"

_SMACK!_

The seven people waiting at the van all recoiled at seeing Randy punch the hell out of his little brother. Matt feel hard on his back before getting dragged to his feet by the collar of his shirt. Randy opened his mouth to say ...

"I **think** you're forgetting something, Matt. You seem not to remember the sixteen years that I went through suffering because I wasn't there for you when you got kidnapped! I went through the same thing you're going through right now longer than you did! The thing we need to focus on right now is celebrating the foundation they built for this family that we have right now! We have mentors, best friends, fiancées, wives, brothers ... all because of your mom and dad. If they hadn't picked you from whatever orphanage you were in and raised you well, we wouldn't be here today. Sure, it's a little bit of a stretch, but you probably wouldn't have run into me that night if it weren't for your parents."

Matt checked his nose for blood and looked up at his brother before looking back at the gravestone itself.

"Thank you. Both of you. For _everything_ that you did for me. Everything we do now is for you two."

Getting an idea, Matt picked up the beer and ripped it open, calling everyone over to where they were standing. Randy was a little befuddled as Matt handed him a can.

"Isn't this just a _little_ weird?", asked the older brother. "You just finished bawling your eyes out and now you're giving beer to everyone?"

"And we're underage ...", mentioned Eric. "... I'm not drinking that."

"You _better_ not", grumbled Dave.

"That's why I came prepared." Matt reached into the bottom of the case, pulled out three cans of root beer, tossed one to Eric and Camilla, and kept one for himself. "Whenever Dad and I spent time together, it was root beer for me and beer for him. Here's to you, guys."

He cracked open the can, held it up to the sky, and took a big swig. Everyone followed suit ... except Batista, who stared uneasily at the can in his hand.

_"Ah ... one can't hurt, right?"_

* * *

After Batista finished consuming what was left of the beer, Eric acted as the designated driver on the trip back to the hotel. After a night of Dave making one hell of a fool of himself, the group of nine boarded a private jet to Phoenix, Arizona. Late Saturday afternoon, they were already in another hotel waiting for SummerSlam to start.

"Ugh ...", said Dave as he was unloading luggage onto a luggage rack, "... I'm never doing that again."

"You're telling me that you've _never_ been drunk before, dawg?", asked an amazed Cena. "You've _got_ to be pullin' my leg!"

"Just shut up and help me!"

John chuckled and went to work, while Randy and Matt went to get everyone's room keys.

"Just think", Randy said as they waited at the counter. "We'll be World Tag Team Champions in about 24 hours. I wonder what it's going to feel like having two belts at the same time."

"It's actually pretty cool", mentioned Matt. "The only problem is deciding which one you want around your waist and which one you'll throw over your shoulder."

Randy rolled his eyes and mentally kicked himself, knowing that Matt would respond with a comment like that. After a few minutes as well as signing an autograph, the brothers led everyone up to the eighth floor. With all the luggage and nine people, they had to split up and take the trip in two cars. Shawn and Eric took the luggage in one car while the rest of the group squeezed into the other one.

"So ...", Cena piped up. "... you still want that one-on-one match with me, Orton?"

"Monday night after SummerSlam. You and me, John. It'll be just like my first match, though. You may pull a move off or two, but I'll get you in the end."

The two argued despite the heavy sighs from the rest of the people in the car. Thankfully, the elevator doors opened and the group stepped out. Shawn and Eric weren't there yet, so they waited for them to appear.

"Dawg, you got lucky that first time. You had your little 'first match' adrenaline pumping going on there. That ain't gonna happen this time. I didn't have the STFU back then, and you've tapped your little ass out every time I've slapped it on ya."

"You know, Randy's taught me how to put someone out with a sleeper hold within a couple of seconds. If you want, we can make the match a Submission match."

John smirked and nodded his head. "You've got yourself a deal, Orton." Matt and John shook hands just as the elevator opened.

What they saw wasn't exactly pleasant.

Shawn and Eric were crumpled on the floor and in a corner, seemingly unconscious. Tucked away in the only empty corner of the car was a sledgehammer. Everyone looked at one another and knew ... except Batista, who was still woozy from his little binge.

"Hunter's here in the hotel. Let's go find the bastard", cried out Matt.

Randy held Matt back, shaking his head while John, Amy, Camilla, and Lilian all pulled the two fallen DX members out of the elevator.

"A smack with the sledgehammer never stopped Shawn before. It doesn't matter. This will all be done and over with tomorrow. He'll settle it."

"You're awfully calm about this", said a riled up Orton.

"When have I ever been wrong?"

* * *

_The biggest party of the summer kicks off in the next chapter, with Amy vs. Camilla for the Women's Championship, Batista vs. the Undertaker for a World title shot at Unforgiven, and Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H in a Street Fight. Then, Eric and John prep for their World title match against each other and the brothers prepare for the match of their lives. _

_Two chapters away. Wow._

_Hope you enjoyed it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	79. Ignition

_The biggest party of the summer is finally here! After DX pick themselves up after the attack from Triple H, Shawn Michaels faces his former best friend in a one-year Street Fight rematch. Then, Matt and Eric are reluctantly forced out to ringside to watch their significant others battle for the Women's Championship. Batista finally gets a chance to redeem himself and get back on the right track towards the championship he never technically lost when he goes up against the Undertaker. Finally, Randy, Matt, John, and Eric look back on the sixteen months that changed their lives forever. _

_Here we go!_

* * *

John was at the helm of the vehicle driving the group to the America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. Batista, the usual driver, was in the backseat still kicking himself over his little alcohol binge two days earlier. Even though he was being silent, everyone knew that the Animal was focusing on his match against the Deadman. Shawn was doing basically the same thing, grunting every once in a while from the large bruise on his chest from the sledgehammer attack in the elevator. Eric was faring a little better, having received the less damaging part of the attack; all he had was a black eye and a sore shoulder.

"I swear to god if I _ever_ see that man", Amy said to her fiancée, "I will take the nearest steel chair and bash his head in for attacking you like this!"

"Calm down!", commented Eric. "The last thing I need to happen is you getting injured. And don't bring up that time you bashed John in the back of the head. He wasn't watching."

"And that hurt!", called John from the driver's seat. "Those other guys in the Chain Gang never let me live it down."

"Well, you _did_ deserve it", retorted Amy. "But it'll all be rectified within the night when my man takes you down to the mat and makes you tap out. Eric Barringer ... World Heavyweight Champion. Has sort of a nice ring to it, doesn't it, John?"

"You know, I'm sure Eric would make a great World champ. But he'll have to wait, because the champ is sitting **right here** behind the wheel."

"Guys, can we stop the childish banter about who's going to beat who at least until we get to the arena?", asked an irritated Batista. "You have _no_ freaking idea how much my head hurts. Shawn ... you better kick Hunter's ass tonight quickly or I may go crazy. And you two girls ... just don't make it too long, okay?"

"That was random", commented Shawn. "Why the haste, big Dave?"

"The quicker you finish Hunter off, the quicker I can get my hands on the Undertaker and the quicker I can get rid of this pent up anger!"

Dave punched the seat in front of him, making Matt wince; he was sitting directly in front of the Animal. As Shawn and Dave discussed their matches, John pulled into the parking lot. Numerous fans were already standing in line waiting to get in the doors. John looked through the front window and recognized a certain trio.

"Hey, Matt! Look out to starboard!"

The younger Orton peered out the tinted glass and smirked, seeing the same three guys he saw at nearly every show: his friends Michael, Adrian, and Travis. Oddly enough, each had a different shirt on. Michael had a shirt with both Randy and Matt on the front, Adrian was wearing a DX shirt with Eric's face plastered on it, and Travis had a 'Basic Thuganomics' top on. Michael looked to be mediating a debate between his two friends, with Adrian and Travis arguing fiercely.

"Looks like John and Eric have some fans", snidely commented Randy. "Just don't put me in the middle of that."

John quickly got into the parking garage, which prompted Batista to leap out of the car. Surprisingly, Batista grabbed nearly all the luggage in one fell swoop. Matt was the only one left carrying his duffel bag into the locker room area. After some refreshments and some warm-up exercises, everyone could hear the stampede of the fans filling up the arena floor. HBK pulled his protégé aside and stepped out of the room.

"Listen, I just want to get something off my chest", Shawn started. "I know I've said this a lot, but I see you as a son. Ever since you joined D-Generation X, I've always felt a sort of bond between you and me. Tonight, I think that bond is as strong as ever. Hell, if someone saw us together in public, I'd bet they would think that we're actually father and son."

"Yeah", added Eric. "I've got the hair ... your moves ... your speed and agility ..."

An uneasy silence filled the immediate area, and Shawn and Eric looked at each other.

"You don't think ...", Eric began, "... that I'm _actually_ you're son? I mean, I've known my parents all my life! How the hell could you be my father?!"

"Matt thought he knew his real parents and look what happened to him."

"Do you _seriously_ think that I'm your son? _Seriously?!_ What are the chances of something like this happening? Do you even _think_ you possibly have an extra son just laying out there somewhere?"

"Well, back in my old days when I was just some young, cocky guy starting out in the business ... before I met Rebecca ... HBK got his share of the ladies. The prospect of me having a son I don't know about isn't that farfetched."

"And you're telling me this right now before the biggest match of my life? Are you _trying_ to rattle my nerves? If you want a damn DNA test done, fine, but it can wait until after..."

"I'm just messin' with ya, Barringer! Jeez, lighten up. Besides, you aren't nearly as good as ole' HBK."

"Just shut up and get to the ring, old man!"

Shawn smirked and turned towards the curtain, but spun back around when he heard ...

"Just be careful out there, okay?", Eric said in a serious and cautious voice.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

HBK resumed his trip to the curtain, leaving Eric behind by the locker room door.

_"God, don't let him get hurt..."_

* * *

Lilian stepped into the ring after two SmackDown matches had completed and was greeted warmly by the fans. However, with the match she was about to announce, it didn't help calm her frayed nerves at all. As she brought the microphone up to her mouth, Lilian had trouble keeping her arm from trembling.

"The following contest is a Street Fight and is scheduled for one fall to a finish!"

'Sexy Boy' blared over the speakers and Shawn Michaels made his entrance. Eric Barringer sat on the benches in the locker room watching his mentor enter the ring, more concerned about Shawn's safety than his own tonight. Eric could see Shawn mouth 'Don't worry' several times, but that's all Eric could do. HBK's entrance music faded, and arena waited with baited breath for...

_**It's time to play the game...**_

As soon as Hunter stepped out onto the stage, everyone in the arena instantly knew that he meant business; Hunter was holding the sledgehammer in his right hand. Amy looked towards an increasingly concerned Eric, whose hands started to tremble. She could see beads of sweat forming on his face, and leapt to action, grabbing Eric by the hand and leading him to a portion of the locker room where the monitor wasn't visible.

"Will you stop!?", demanded Amy, grabbing Eric's head with both hands and looking him dead in the eye. "Shawn can handle something like this. You _know_ he can! Hell, don't you remember what happened last year? Shawn won!"

"And then he got whacked in the lower back, remember? Hunter's sledgehammer shot nearly ended Shawn's career _again_. You want me to calm down? Fat _friggin'_ chance!"

Eric then got up and stormed out of the locker room, but Amy was the only one to have noticed. The rest of the group was intently watching the match in front of them unfold. Shawn had charged Hunter as HHH entered the ring, not allowing the Game even a moment to get properly oriented. Hunter fell to the outside and Shawn quickly followed, repeatedly ramming his former best friend's head into the thick, black divider. Hunter finally had the wherewithal to put up enough resistance to reverse positions, and was now ramming Shawn's head into the divider just as hard. After getting HBK dizzy enough, Triple H looked around for the weapon he brought to the ring. HHH picked up the sledgehammer and saw Shawn's head just laying on the divider. Oddly enough, Michael, Adrian, and Travis had landed the seats that were right next to where this was all taking place.

"Get up, Shawn!", Michael yelled. "He's gonna ..."

They all looked down to see Shawn give a hidden thumbs up, away from the glance of his enemy. The trio backed up as they saw Hunter charge forward with the sledgehammer high in the sky, but cheered upon HBK dashing away at the last second. The sledgehammer crashed into the railing, which gave Shawn the opportunity for his own weapon attack; HBK grabbed the nearby steel steps and rammed them into the back of the Game's head. Hunter fell to his knees with his hands hanging over the railing. Michael, Adrian, and Travis all had a hardy laugh at Hunter's near-unconscious face right in front of them before Shawn picked HHH up and threw him back into the ring. After positioning his opponent correctly, HBK climbed up the nearest turnbuckle all the way to the top. The crowd knew what was coming and yelled out as Shawn launched himself into the air with his signature elbow drop.

But Hunter moved out of the way. Shawn hit the canvas incredibly hard, grabbing the base of his elbow and screaming out in pain. Hunter, albeit still wobbly, rolled out of the ring and stole two chairs from ringside, one of them being Lilian's. Hunter lifted one of the chairs up into the air much like he did with the sledgehammer, except this time he connected, slamming the chair hard against Shawn's back. Although HBK's back was now stinging, it was nothing like the pain that was coursing through his elbow. Hunter noticed this and smirked, setting a plan into motion.

Backstage, Eric felt the pain in his elbow just as his mentor was. Amy had drug him back into the room by his long, orange hair after abruptly leaving the viewing area. Randy and Matt could both notice Eric's heightened tension and looked over at their best friend.

_"You alright, bro?", _asked Randy. _"Chill out. Shawn'll recover."_

_"Shawn's hurt bad. Can't you see the way he's clutching his elbow even after Hunter hit him with the chair?"_

They all looked again at the monitor. Sure enough, Shawn was still clutching his elbow more so than his back. Hunter now had Shawn prone on the ground and the Game sandwiched HBK's injured arm between the foldings of one chair. Everyone in the arena shook in fright as Triple H grabbed the other chair and lifted it up in the air. Parents covered the eyes of their children as the chair came swinging down...

...and missed. Shawn managed to yank his arm out from the chair and rolled out of the ring. His injured arm close to his body, HBK looked around for the sledgehammer. Watching Triple H give chase, Shawn quickly scampered over to the sledgehammer, which was still laying near the black divider. With his one good hand, HBK picked up the heavy weapon and flung it wildly at his opponent. Hunter managed to lift the chair in his hand to deflect the blow, but the head of the sledgehammer was flying so fast, it slammed the seat of the chair directly on Hunter's forehead. The Game fell to the ground almost instantly, giving Shawn a few precious moments to rest.

Of course, he didn't take them. HBK tried to pick up the sledgehammer using both of his hands, but immediately stopped after feeling blistering pain shoot up his arm. Shawn resorted to using his one good arm to try to lift Hunter's body onto the apron. To HBK, it felt as if the bicep in his good arm was about to tear through the skin. Shawn had to use the steel steps in order to get his own body under Hunter's to finally shove the Game onto the apron. Triple H was already starting to stir, sending Shawn into a rush to get to one of the corners of the ring. HBK finally got a bit of confidence back; to do what he wanted to do next didn't require either hand.

The crowd all around Shawn started to count as HBK started to tune up the band. Eric started to count and stomp his feet backstage in tempo with the rest of the arena. Barringer had a momentary sense of elation as he saw the end of the match in front of him. Hunter finally got to his feet and stumbled around while Shawn let loose Sweet Chin Music.

But Hunter somehow managed to dodge it. Eric's heart sank to his stomach as Triple H kicked Shawn in the stomach and hooked his arms for the Pedigree. Shawn's scream pierced Eric right in the heart; Hunter was applying pressure to HBK's bad elbow. The youngest DX member looked away from the screen, expecting to hear the 'thud' of Shawn's face impacting the canvas.

_SMACK!_

"1, 2, 3!"

Eric got up and faced the screen again, fully expecting Hunter standing in the middle of the ring with his arm raised.

What he saw was the complete opposite. Shawn had managed to wiggle out of the Pedigree, turn 180 degrees, and land a cheetah-like Sweet Chin Music directly on the jaw of the Game all within a matter of seconds. Eric didn't wait to see the celebration. He wanted to go out there himself, congratulate his mentor, and survey Shawn's injury.

_"I'm going to **kill **Hunter if Shawn broke his elbow. I swear to god ..."_

_"But he didn't even cause that", _Matt communicated. _"Hunter just ..."_

_"Do **you** want a kick in the face, Orton?"_, Eric replied back angrily. Matt shook his head, shut up like a scolded little kid, and watched Eric sail out the door towards the ring. The referee was taking a look at Shawn's injured elbow just as Eric slid in to greet his mentor.

"You alright?", Eric yelled over the roar of the crowd. "Is it broken?"

"I don't know", replied Shawn, "but I'm in a lot of fucking pain right now."

Eric cleaned out his ears right then and there. "Did you just cuss? That's the first time I've _ever_ hear you say something like that."

"You try holding it in when ..."

Shawn's sentence was interrupted when saw something move behind Eric. Barringer was shoved to the side, and Eric watched as Triple H rammed the sledgehammer into HBK's head, sending Shawn down to the floor in a crumple. Hunter quickly left the ring, anticipating a retaliatory attack from Eric.

But Eric didn't move. He froze after seeing Shawn crumple to the canvas like that. The referee immediately signaled for paramedics to come to the ring, and Eric could hear the faint clicking of wheels coming down the ramp. As he saw Shawn's body being loaded on a stretcher, Eric slowly turned towards the ramp, his whole body shivering as if he were in below zero weather. Triple H had ascended to the top of the ramp and held the sledgehammer high in the air, inviting a wave of jeers and boos his way.

_"So help me god, Hunter, I ... will ... **break** ... you. Getting rid of Shawn is only half the battle. If you want to get rid of DX, you'll have to **kill** me. I ... will ... **never** ... back down. I will **never** give up. Until I see your unconscious body at my feet, I will be hunting you day after day after day. The number of days in your career, Hunter, just got slashed severely. Count on **that**."_

* * *

"They don't know yet, but Shawn may have a cranial fracture", Eric said after getting off the phone with the hospital. "They're taking him to get an x-ray right now. Either way ... he's sidelined permanently."

Everyone in the room wanted to say that Shawn would come back, but with the way that he looked as HBK was being loaded into the ambulance, nothing could be said for sure. The only one who was having any kind of success comforting Eric was Amy.

"Honey, I don't know what kind of pain you're going through right now, but you can't let what just happened get in the way of what you are trying to accomplish tonight! Do you really think Shawn would want you to just sit here and mope about him the rest of the evening? Seriously! Just focus on how Shawn's face is going to look like when we go to see him and you have that big gold belt on your shoulder!"

"Hold up ...", John interrupted. "... that's not for ..."

"Shut **up**, John! You're not helping!"

"Sorry", Cena said timidly.

"Listen", Amy began again, "I just think you need to take your mind off Shawn for even a couple of minutes. Come out with me for my match."

"Yeah", Matt piped up. "I'll go out there too with Camilla. We can watch the match out there together. How does _that_ sound?"

Eric let out a big sigh, then looked Matt straight in the eyes. To Orton, it felt like he was being leered at by a dying man. The amount of sorrow Eric was emanating right now was more than any Matt had seen before from his best friend.

"I think I'll pass", Barringer replied tersely. "I don't think anything can cheer me up right now."

"You'd rather sit here and cry in a corner than come out there and watch me win the Women's belt?"

Camilla opened her mouth to say something, but Matt quickly covered it up before anything spilled out.

"... honestly, Amy ... ... yeah, I would."

Randy quickly leaned over to Matt, an idea popping up in his head.

_"You thinking what I'm thinking?"_

_"Yep."_

As the brothers finished their thought, Eric got up to literally go sit in a corner of the room. Matt got up, quickly threw on a shirt, and tapped Eric on the shoulder with Randy standing by his side.

"What the hell do you two ... _whoa!_"

Randy and Matt each grabbed Eric by the armpit, slung him over their shoulder, and calmly walked out of the room even with Barringer swinging like a madman. Amy and Camilla looked at each other, shrugged, waved goodbye to Dave and John, and hurried to follow the three men.

"Put me down! Put me down, goddammit! I'll friggin' **kill** both of you!"

"The last time you said that is when we were throwing you into the pool back home", Matt said. "You did jack squat to us afterwards. Just chill the hell out and watch Amy, alright? It's not like I want to be out here either!"

"I heard that!", came a female voice coming down the corridor. Camilla arrived first with Amy close behind, and Mrs. Orton delivered a stern punch to Matt's lower back.

"Someone's not gettin' any tonight", Randy said under his breath. Matt was the one now punching, giving his brother a hit on the shoulder.

"Can we just get this over with?", Eric said suddenly. "The faster this match is over, the better."

The whole mood was dampened with Eric's little outburst. Matt shuffled over to Amy & Camilla and whispered...

"Don't worry about him. I'll work on him until the match is over. You two just have a good match, okay?"

The two women nodded and Amy stood directly behind the curtain, waiting for her theme music to hit. Eric reluctantly stood beside her, his eyes still staring towards the ground. Amy put her arm around her fiancée and said ...

"Eric, we're all going to be here for you. We put as much respect, friendship, and love into you as Shawn does. Don't act like this is the end of the world. We all have trials and tribulations to go through during our lives. This is just one of many, baby. And I'll be right by your side every moment of every day. You can count on that."

Barringer quietly took a breath and looked up at Amy's face. A small smile appeared on Eric's face, prompting an even bigger one to pop up for Amy.

"Just give me time", he quietly mumbled. "We don't know for sure what Shawn's condition is anyway. Not until the doctor calls us back. Gotta be optimistic, right?"

Amy could sense the half-heartedness in Eric's voice, but she didn't care. Any positives coming from him were a step in the right direction. Her theme music started to play, and Amy was surprised when Eric actually took the lead and stepped out onto the stage first.

"Introducing the challenger, being accompanied by Eric Barringer ...", Lilian began. As the engaged couple made their entrance, Matt decided to give Camilla a little bit of a pep talk behind the curtain.

"Alright, babe. What's your strategy? I want to know what's running through your head."

"Keep her grounded. I'm not letting her get an opportunity to use the turnbuckle. One Moonsault and it could be over for me."

"Don't forget to watch for the Twist of Fate. Even though she's not with the Hardys anymore, she still uses it. It's not as quick as an RKO, but still. Oh, and I give you permission to use my MKO, if you want."

"When did I ever require your permission? You use your brother's RKO like it was your own move, so I get to use yours whenever I want. And if you say anything to the contrary...", she said after Matt opened his mouth to protest, "... I'll make you tap out right here and now."

Matt knew better and shut his mouth before anything happened. 'Burn in My Light' started to play and Orton let his wife take the lead onto the stage. After a pair of Orton poses, Matt walked around ringside towards Eric while Camilla climbed into the ring.

"You alright, Eric", Orton asked his best friend after slapping him on the back. "This'll take your mind off it, right?"

"Yeah. I just have to face it and move on. This is similar to what happened to you after you lost your parents. Shawn's like a father to me. He even joked about me being his son before the match. You persevered and got through it. I just have to do the same, right? If I can face my childhood fear of the Undertaker, I can certainly get through this. Now shut up and watch the match, okay?"

Orton was thrown off by the slight smirk on Eric's face as well as his regular, old jokester tone of voice, but Matt wasn't going to complain.

"You just know that the match'll be over soon and Camilla will walk out of here with the belt. You want to savor every moment of Amy's one chance at the belt."

As the bell rang and the two women engaged in battle, Eric slowly turned his head to meet gazes with the man standing next to him. In the ring, Amy quickly engaged her strategy ... not wrestling as she usually does. Instead, Amy acted exactly the opposite of what Camilla was expecting. Submission wrestling was now Amy's tactic of choice. After a quick drop toe hold, Amy had her shocked opponent tied up in Matt's own Texas Cloverleaf. Orton looked at the situation unfolding in the ring with his mouth hanging wide open.

_"I told her to do that. Beat that, hotshot."_

Matt spun over towards Eric to see his best friend with a sly grin on his face. Camilla had been anticipating a completely different opponent and was now paying the price for having prepared incorrectly. Amy let go just for a moment and grabbed Camilla's ankle, changing it up to an Ankle Lock. Matt started to slap the mat rapidly with both hands, trying to gather support for his wife, but it seemed that just about everyone in the arena wanted the Women's title to change hands. Matt could hear Camilla's pain-filled yelps and her hands scraping on the mat, trying to get to the ropes. Demonstrating her upper body strength, the female Orton started to drag herself slowly to the bottom rope.

"Don't do that!", yelled out Matt. "She'll just ..."

But before Matt could finish his piece of advice, Eric crept over and wrapped an arm around Orton's neck. Backstage, Randy started to break out in hysterics as he watched his little brother trapped in a sleeper hold. Camilla realized what Matt was about to say just a bit too late, however; Amy dragged Camilla back to the center of the ring, erasing all of Camilla's muscle-straining work. Camilla looked down to ringside only for a second to see her husband unconscious and sprawled out on the ground, Eric cheering Amy on from beside Matt's body. With her ankle about to snap, Camilla managed to flip on her back and pushed her opponent away with her good leg, sending Amy all the way back to a corner turnbuckle. Camilla scurried over to the ropes and pulled herself up to both feet, standing gingerly on her sore ankle. Amy saw her opportunity and charged at her opponent, her arm outstretched for a clothesline over the top rope.

But Camilla was a bit faster. She pulled down the top rope at the last second, sending Amy flying head over heels to the floor below. Eric cringed as he saw his fiancée land hard, then looked up at Camilla with both hands on the top rope and leaned back like she was a retracted spring.

_"She wouldn't dare..."_, Eric thought. However, his thoughts were proved wrong as Orton sprung over the rope just as Amy got to her feet, connecting with a cross body block. Camilla sprung straight up, filled with adrenaline, but winced as she put all her weight on the bad ankle. Walking carefully, Camilla picked Amy up and rolled her back into the ring. Wanting to the turn the tables, Orton climbed up to the top turnbuckle, catching the attention of everyone in the arena, especially a recovering Matt who was just getting to his feet.

"You're _**crazy!**_", shouted out Matt. Camilla looked up and rolled her eyes at her husband while carefully balancing herself on the top turnbuckle.

_"No guts, no glory..."_, Camilla thought to herself as she flew through the air, launching herself with her good foot. Matt saw his own Somersault Leg Drop executed ... and missed. Amy managed to roll out of the way and Camilla landed flat on her behind. Camilla let out a screech high enough to make the glass in the arena shake, prompting Matt to worry intensely. He even got onto the apron to try to see if Camilla was okay, but was restrained by the referee. Eric made the ref's job easier when he pulled Matt down to the floor and once again locked in a sleeper hold.

Meanwhile, Amy started to pick up Camilla, who was grasping her whole right leg now. She motioned for the Twist of Fate and started to execute the movement, but Camilla managed to wiggle out and landed an RKO, sending both women down hard to the mat. Amy wasn't moving at all, but Camilla seemed to have further injured her leg as she landed the RKO. Matt escaped the sleeper hold, went to the other side of the ring, and started to clap rhythmically, prompting the whole audience to do the same. Camilla finally managed to drag herself over to Amy, flip Amy over, and go for the cover.

"1, 2, thr..."

Everyone's heart jumped a beat as Amy lifted her shoulder up. Matt slammed a fist into the mat, angry that Camilla's RKO didn't finish the job. Getting on her feet, Camilla wondered about her next move despite being the most frustrated person in the arena, and looked to her husband for advice. With Eric on the other side of the ring, Matt didn't need to worry about giving advice.

"Use it! Use my move!"

_"You **idiot**, Camilla!"_, she thought to herself. _"Why didn't you think of that yourself?!" _Picking up Amy, Camilla put her head under her arm and signaled for the MKO. Matt finally breathed regularly now, expecting that the match would be over in a couple of seconds. Camilla went through the motions, but to everyone's amazement, Amy reversed the MKO much like Randy would reverse it.

"Shit ...", Matt said, putting his hands on his head in surprise. Eric looked at his best friend's eyes, then started to cheer wildly as Amy hit the Twist of Fate after Camilla turned back around. Barringer thought it would be over, but smiled as Amy then leaped onto the turnbuckle. Camera flashes filled the arena as Amy leapt through the hair with her Moonsault.

"1, 2, 3!"

"Here is your winner", a surprised Lilian shouted in the microphone, "and the **new** WWE Women's Champion, Lita!"

Eric quickly climbed in and handed the Women's belt over to Amy, who embraced her future husband and raised the belt high in the air. Matt, on the other hand, sulked standing outside the ring. Camilla slowly rolled out under the bottom rope, holding her forehead as well as her neck. She immediately shoved Matt in the chest with both hands quite hard; Matt was incredulous as to why she did this, even with a Batista-like angry face.

"What's your problem!?", asked Matt defensively. "I didn't do anything! _You're_ the one that lost the match!"

"Only after _you _told me to use the MKO! I was doing quite fine until then!"

"Get over yourself! You looked elated when I reminded you to use it! It's only because you let Amy reverse it that you lost your belt!"

"Remind me never to take advice from you in a match ever again, you stupid _**idiot!**_"

Amy and Eric watched as Matt and Camilla walked up the ramp shouting and bickering loudly at each other.

"You can tell they're a married couple", commented Eric as he put his arm around Amy's shoulder. Amy smiled and raised her newly won championship one more time in the air before they both walked back up the ramp to return to the locker room.

* * *

Dave was already at the curtain as Eric and Amy passed through heading back. Just as he was jumpy earlier, Batista was chomping at the bit for his match to start. The couple passed by the Animal and entered the locker room after a short walk, only to see a cold, lifeless demeanor on everyone's face, even Matt and Camilla's.

"What?", asked a confused new Women's champion. "What's wrong?"

"We got a call from ...", Randy began.

"Nothing's wrong!", John interrupted hastily, immediately putting a smile on his face. Cena gave Randy a look, but continued his conversation. "We're just anxious for our matches to start, that's all!"

_"What the hell is he doing?!", _thought Randy to Matt, careful to close his thoughts to Eric. _"Eric needs to know about this!"_

_"I think John doesn't want it to interfere in Eric's thoughts before their match. If we tell Eric now, he won't be able to focus. Just leave it be for now."_

_"Leave it be?! How the hell can we ..."_

_"Quit getting so worked up about it! You know you can't keep your guard up when you get emotional! Eric'll read you!"_

Strangely, Eric didn't think anything of it and went straight to the monitor to watch the Batista/Taker match. Once Eric was out of sight, John leapt up to his feet and drug both brothers outside out of earshot. Matt and Randy were careful to keep their minds closed to Eric should he decide to snoop in.

"I **had** to do that", John whispered. "There's absolutely no way Eric would be able to focus tonight if he heard what went down. I don't want to go up against an emotional wreck in the championship match! Hell, we've _both_ worked our asses off to get to this point, and to have it spoiled right now is the _last_ thing I want to happen!"

"We're going to have to tell him at one point or another. Even if we don't, he's going to find out sooner or later", Matt added, his arms folded across his chest. "With Shawn in this condition, I don't know the extent to which he will react. He could be in hysterics or he could go on a rampage like Batista did."

"Do you think we can tell Amy?", suggested Randy. "I mean ... she can keep a secret, right? Besides, she would know how he would react, right?"

Matt and John both shrugged their shoulders, looking down at the floor in hesitation.

"I honestly think not telling Eric right now is a big mistake", the elder Orton continued. "To him, Shawn is family. Hell, _to us_, Shawn is family. Didn't you see the blood in my face drain just as quickly as when I heard the news? You were the same way, Matt! We all were!"

An awkward silence overcame the hallway, punctuated only by the sounds of Amy, Camilla, and Eric cheering at the monitor. The three men all looked at each other uneasily, not saying a word. Even Matt and Randy couldn't think of anything to communicate with one another. The brothers could tell that John was especially bothered; although it wasn't in the best of circumstances, the Ortons were glad to see that John's commitment to the family was as strong as it was in the beginning.

"Why does this have to happen now?", John muttered. "I feel like everything is crumbling under our feet at the last second, and there's nothing we can do about it!"

"Now you know how we felt when you left Evolution", Randy blasted back. He knew he didn't want to say that, knowing that John might go on one of his apology binges, but the severity of the situation deserved such a phrase. "I just think we need to tell Eric right now. If he finds out that we waited to tell him ... I don't know what he might do to us. His temper is just as bad as ours sometimes."

A sudden outburst of cheers, applause, and shouting erupted from the locker room, with Eric bursting through the front door to find John, Randy, and Eric.

"Guys!", he exclaimed. "Dave just won! Reversed a Last Ride into a Batista Bomb!"

"What?", answered back all three of them. "How?"

"Dave managed to get his legs off of Taker's shoulders, landed on his feet, and hit the Batista Bomb."

Randy looked up at a clock on the wall of the arena hallway, and discovered that the three of them had been contemplating for fifteen minutes.

"Now it'll be me versus him at Unforgiven!", an eager Eric spurted out.

John wanted to protest, but he couldn't get away from the fact that Eric was just as happy and active as he was before Shawn was even hurt to begin with. To add to the chaos, Dave could be seen jogging down the hall and joined the four men outside the locker room. Eric immediately congratulated Batista, slapping him on the back and greeting him with a smile after giving him a jeer about his previous alcohol binge.

"I don't care who it is I face at Unforgiven", Dave sternly said. "I _will_ get my belt back."

"Big talk for a big man", an enthusiastic Barringer said. "But I'm not intimidated. Don't forget that I beat you to win that Intercontinental contender's tournament at the beginning of the year. I can take you down just as easily now as I did then."

"And you don't have anything to add to this?", Dave said to John. The Doctor of Thuganomics put his hands in the air and took a step back, not wanting any part of this right now. The Animal chuckled a little before turning back to Eric.

"Go get my duffel bag, will ya?" Eric reluctantly walked back into the locker room, freeing the air for more discussion.

"I guess you haven't told 'em yet, huh?", Batista commented. "Or else he'd be crying like a little baby."

"I think we should spill the beans", Randy instantly interjected. "It's a damn crime to not let Eric know that his mentor is ..."

"But if we _do_ tell him", Matt interrupted, "it'll spoil the biggest match of his life so far. No matter what condition Shawn is in, I know Shawn wants Eric to do his best to win."

"What are you guys talking about?"

All four men froze and turned around to see Eric standing behind then, Dave's duffel bag in his hand.

"What's this about Shawn? What are you guys not telling me?"

Matt's eyes sunk to the ground in defeat and anxiety, not anticipating what would come of this. He took a deep breath, wiped his brow, and looked his best friend in the eye.

"Eric, when you were out there celebrating with Amy after her win, me and Camilla came back into the room arguing. I looked over to my left and John was talking on your phone with someone. I guess it had rang before we came. John yelled at me to shut up. After looking at him ..."

"Cut the crap and get to the point already!", Eric boomed out. Matt saw Eric's eyes narrow and his forehead contract, not unlike Dave did when he was angry. Batista saw Matt's hesitation and stepped in front of the younger Orton. Dave looked Down at Eric's face and told it to him straight.

"While you were gone, the hospital called your phone. Eric, Shawn's in a coma."

Amy came out of the room, wary that Eric might need comforting. But before she could put her arms around him, Eric stepped around Batista, in between both Ortons, and up to his opponent for the night. Barringer looked Cena in the eye, John standing his ground.

"So ... you ready to get your ass beat tonight?"

"You're ... you're not sad?

"I'll always keep Shawn in my thoughts, but that's not going to stop me from fulfilling my destiny. I think Matt can attest with me that we've worked too hard over the last year or so to let _anything _stop us now."

Matt saw the smile on John's face and was reminded of the night he and John won the World Tag Team Championships. He knew the match for the World Heavyweight Championship would be one to remember. John was fighting for himself and redemption; Eric was fighting for himself and his mentor.

_"You know, remember when the Hardys and Triple H tried to ambush us in the hallway one night?"_

_"Yeah"_, answered Matt to his brother. _"But what does that have to do with anything right now?"_

_"Let's go pay the Hardys a visit. I'm sure they'd enjoy the brilliant sounds of a con-chair-to before the match."_

Matt grinned, liking his brother's devious idea.

_"Maybe tonight won't be so bad after all."_

* * *

_Finally! The finale is upon us! Can Eric use the tragic news as fuel to light up his fire to win the night? Will John end up holding the big gold belt? And what do the Ortons have in store for the Hardys? Or rather ... what do the Hardys have in store for the Ortons?_

_One more. One more chapter and this is over. Hope you enjoyed it!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


	80. Taking Flight

_We're in the final stretch! While Eric Barringer and John Cena battle for the biggest prize on Monday Night Raw, Randy and Matthew Orton attempt to gain the upper hand on their opponents for the World Tag Team Championships. But when they overhear a conversation between the two Hardy brothers, the Ortons change their attitudes. Can Randy and Matt overcome the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match and fulfill their destinies?_

_Here we go!_

* * *

Randy Orton, Matthew Orton, Eric Barringer, and John Cena were all walking to the curtain in anticipation of the World Heavyweight Championship match upcoming in a few moments. Barringer and Cena were all geared up and ready to go. Eric was decked out in green, presumably in honor of his fallen mentor; Cena ... well, was wearing the same old shorts and jersey t-shirt he wore every match.

"_Who do you think will pull it off?", _Randy thought to his brother, careful to keep the conversation hidden from Eric. _"Think Eric can manage to pull off an upset against John?"_

"_I wouldn't call it an **upset**"_, Matt responded defensively. _"It's not like Eric's helpless against John! If he can beat the Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match, he can beat Cena for the World Championship in a regular plain-jane match! Although ... Eric's gonna have one of hell of a time with this burden on his shoulders. I'd say its fifty-fifty for either of them."_

"_You can't possibly think that Eric really has a chance! He's got too much on his mind right now. You've seen how Eric reacts under pressure!"_

Before they knew it, Randy and Matt started to argue over who would win the big gold belt. What they didn't realize was that they were still only mentally communicating to each other, making it look like they were just staring each other straight in the eye in the middle of the hallway. In addition, they stopped walking, letting Eric and John get to the curtain before the brothers. The two opponents for the night looked back at the awkward-looking pair staring at each other.

"You've _got_ to let me know how you three do that", John spoke up. "That should be in some sci-fi show or somethin'."

"It's probably just as complicated", Eric responded. "We think we know why, but that _still_ doesn't really explain anything."

The two shared a short chuckle before hearing the bell ring once out in the arena. Lilian's voice soon followed.

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall and it is the final in the best-of-five series for the World Heavyweight Championship!"

Cena and Barringer looked at each other, the momentary jovialities gone from their faces. In the few seconds before either of their theme songs would start to play, complete and total concentration possessed each of their minds. No words were said, but John extended his hand to Eric for a handshake. Barringer momentarily accepted Cena's gesture before ...

_"**ARE YOU READY?**"_

Eric grimaced for only a split second. Normally, he would have Shawn Michaels here by his side ready to make the traditional D-Generation X entrance.

_"HBK was one of the only reasons that I stayed in this business after the crap I put myself and Matt through at No Way Out. __I owe him everything. My shot at this title ... even my career. But ... but I can't have Shawn be my crutch. __I'm going to be able to have to stand on my own two feet. If I win, I hold and defend the belt for him. If I lose ... well ... we'll cross that bridge if I need to later."_

_"**BREAK IT DOWN!**"_

The DX music broke Eric out of his trance and stepped out onto the stage, making his grand entrance to SummerSlam. The music also snapped Randy and Matt to their senses, stopping their pointless arguing.

"Come on", Randy said outloud. "let's go hunt down the Hardys."

"So we're not going to watch this?!", Matt responded hastily. "This is going to be an epic match and we're going to miss it?"

Randy chuckled at Matt's momentary childishness and lowered his eyes to the floor. "You know, it was _your_ idea to go mess with Jeff and Matt and now you just want to sit here and eat popcorn while watching the damn match? You know we can just watch the replay when we get back to the hotel tonight."

Matt exhaled, his shoulders sinking down, knowing that his brother was right. He looked back to John, who reluctantly waved them off towards the back locker rooms. Matt gave a little wave before he turned around and started walking back with Randy.

"What do you think the Hardys have in mind for us tonight?", Randy asked. "I mean ... they've been in three TLC matches together. They've got to have some kind of strategy."

"Far from it. The one match Jeff and I tagged together in that stupid tag tournament he messed up for me and John, he mentioned to me that, in every single one of their matches together, him and Matt _never_ hatched a plan. Everything was done off the top of their heads."

"Then that's where we take their strategy and turn it against them. Don't forget what we have that they don't. Through whatever hocus pocus happened sixteen years ago, we can communicate. You need to warn me if either one of them is coming up behind my back with a weapon. I'll do the same to you."

"Do you really think they'll put up much of a fight after what we're going to do to them now?", Matt said after grabbing a pair of nearby steel chairs and giving one to his brother. "I mean, they might not be able to even stand on their own two feet after a conchairto or two. It might take the fun out of the match altogether."

"_Fun_? You think this match is going to be _fun_? Jeez, you must have taken one too many shots to the head if you think a **Tables, Ladders, and Chairs** match is going to be fun. Why don't you just ..."

A loud outburst of yelling and something smashing into metal filled the hallway, seemingly coming from a closed door about twenty feet in front of the brothers. Weapons at the ready, Randy and Matt crept on either side of the door and listened carefully to what was being said.

"I'm telling you right now, Jeff", came a muffled voice, "... if you screw up _even a little bit_, we will lose this match! And if we don't carry those belts back to this locker room, I'll ram your face into this brick wall so much not even _**Mom**_ will be able to recognize you!"

The two Orton brothers looked at each other, looks of confusion and concern on their faces. The pair surmised that it must be Matt Hardy talking ... er, _screaming_ at his little brother, Jeff.

_"Dude ... that's messed up"_, the younger Orton thought to his brother. _"They're not just joking around like brothers. Matt's tone of voice is just ... just ..."_

_"Evil"_, Randy completed his brother's sentence. _"And why isn't Jeff yelling back? He's gotta be able to defend himself or something."_

The Ortons heard the most minute and quiet of responses before hearing another slam against metal. A loud groan came from behind the door before what sounded like a body crumpling to the floor.

"Don't **ever** question me like that **again**! You _need_ me, Jeff! You've needed me ever since we were kids! Who was the one who stood up for you in elementary school when you were too much of a pussy to stand up for yourself? Who was the one that stopped you from making a stupid decision when you got offered a joint in high school, huh? And then you even went around my back and tried it anyway! If it weren't for me beating the shit out of you every time you made a mistake, Jeff, you wouldn't even be in this business. Hell, you might not even be _alive_!"

It was only for a fleeting moment, but Randy actually felt sorry for the younger Hardy. Matt could see the anger rising in his brother's face like magma towards the opening of a volcano towards the actions of Matt Hardy, knowing that Randy thought it heresy to act this way towards a younger brother.

"What do you have to say for yourself?", Matt Hardy screamed one more time. "Huh? _**ANSWER ME!**_"

Randy and Matt lowered their weapons and put their ears up against the wall, eager to hear what Jeff's response would be. But as a long silence filled the hallway, both men knew that Jeff wasn't going to put up much of a verbal retaliation. Matt was a little more sympathetic than his brother towards his former tag team partner, desperately wanting Jeff to at least say something in return. After hearing what sounded like a couple of chuckles and someone sitting down, the Ortons took their ears off the door just as ...

"And what about that stunt you pulled before Backlash? Bashing Cena in the back of the head with a lead pipe? What for?"

With a sore jaw, Jeff slowly looked up at his brother's eyes. "Orton is a decent man. Just like Eric and Shawn. They took me in D-Generation X ..."

As soon as Jeff said those last few words, his brother picked him up by the neck and slammed him up against a nearby locker. Outside, Randy and Matt jumped, utterly surprised by the loud bang.

"What the hell were you thinking joining that stupid little group?!", Matt Hardy screamed out in his brother's slowly turning blue face. "You didn't succeed one bit! And then you take out Cena to be with Orton? Orton's a shitty tag team wrestler! _Both_ of them are! Just think how easy this will be!"

"Okay ...", Jeff struggled to say with Matt's hands around his neck, "... so we win the tag titles. Then what? You'll keep beating me like you have my whole life."

"And what exactly are you going to do about it?", his brother replied in a sharp manner.

Nothing was said. It suddenly made sense for the two eavesdropping brothers. Jeff Hardy joined D-Generation X to get away from his brother. Jeff did the same when he planned for Matt Orton to ask Jeff to be his tag team partner after attacking John Cena. All for the same reason: to get away from an abusive brother. Both Randy and Matt put the chairs down on the ground and started to back away; the wish to wreck their opponents before the TLC match was gone. Speechless, the two walked back to their locker room and sat down next to each other, completely silent.

_"That's ... that's the **last** damn thing you do to someone as close as your brother"_, Randy thought. _"I mean, you've pissed me off pretty badly before, but the worst thing I've done to you is break your nose. But to choke your own brother? To abuse him like that all your life? Matt Hardy doesn't even deserve someone he can call a brother. Jeff deserves better than that."_

_"No arguing with that"_, Matt responded. _"I guess when he realized that Shawn and Eric were too much of a pair, he wanted another person to replace what his brother should have been. He should have just told us though instead of knocking Cena out, goddammit."_

_"Jeff doesn't have the willpower. He's been suppressed by his brother his whole life. Remember what Matt was saying? Jeff got hooked on drugs and when Matt found out, he beat the crap out of Jeff. Matt said that he may have saved Jeff's life, but I bet you anything Matt came within an inch of **killing** his own brother. That must be the only reason Jeff is so quiet and reserved; Matt has power over him and Jeff really can't do anything to stop it because of that one incident!"_

_"That's ... that's a bit of a stretch. Do you really think Matt would stoop so low as to nearly kill his own brother?"_

_"Matt didn't want to kill Jeff. He's just power hungry. He saw an opportunity to hold leverage over his brother and he took it."_

_"So what's our goal then? What do we do tonight in the match?"_

_"No matter what happens, we cannot ... let ... them ... win. If we do, we just give Matt Hardy another piece of leverage to hold against his brother. Jeff deserves better."_

_"No holding anything back then?"_

_"Nothing at all. Give this match everything you have and **then** some."_

All at once, Eric sat down on Randy's right and John sat down on Matt's left.

"So what's going on, you two?", Cena asked, slapping Matt on the back.

"Yeah, we missed ya when you got back. Did you take care of the Hardys?", Eric added with a big grin on his face.

Both Randy and Matt shot looks of complete surprise to both men, not expecting them to be this happy-go-lucky after what must have been a brutal match for the World Heavyweight Championship.

"Well?!", Matt shouted out. "Who won? Where's the belt? Who's the champ?"

Eric chuckled a little and looked down to the ground just for a second, and Randy instantly knew. Both Ortons turned to Cena, who instantly whipped out the belt and shouted ...

_**"THE CHAMP IS HERE!"**_

Matt's shoulders sunk down ever so slightly in disappointment; he was secretly pulling for Eric to win it all. "How did it go down?", the younger Orton asked. "Randy dragged me to the back to attack the Hardys and ..."

"It was _your_ idea in the first place, moron! If you keep saying that I forced you back there, I'm gonna..."

"Chill, guys! Bring it down a notch!", Eric interrupted. "Anyway, I made one little stupid mistake. 'Homeboy' here is one tough son-of-a-bitch; I threw everything that I had in my arsenal at him as well as some things in _his _arsenal."

"Being trapped in my own STFU in front of the whole world ain't that great."

"After a while, John messed up and I caught him with a german suplex. That's when I went to the corner and started to tune up the band."

"Unfortunately for him, I knew what was going on."

"Cena took his damn time getting up and I should have recognized what was going on, but I was too caught up in the moment to do so. I let loose with the superkick, but John ducked and caught me with an FU. Three seconds later, he's the World champ."

"But Barringer made me pull all my tricks out. He made me earn this belt. I'm proud of him, and he should be proud of himself."

"That I am. And I'm looking at my loss from another angle. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise because now I can focus one hundred percent of my energy towards taking down that heinous _bastard_ Triple H."

"That doesn't mean you're gonna stop going after the World title, are ya?", came Dave's deep voice from the back of the room. "I was kinda lookin forward to battling you for that belt."

"Don't worry, Batista", Eric said with a new air of confidence the brothers hadn't seen before. "I'll set Triple H on a trip to the hospital so quickly, I'll be back in the title hunt before you can say ... well ... before you can say ... " Eric stopped to think of a witty saying for a moment, but couldn't come up with one. "Well, you know what I mean."

"The night's almost over", quipped John. "We've got the Women's champ, the Intercontinental champ, the #1 contender, _and _the World champ all in the same room."

Everyone's head turned to the two brothers in the room.

"I guess its time to get the Tag champs", Randy said. The two men got up and received a round of handshakes and hugs from everyone else in the room before heading out the door towards the stage. With the room quiet, Eric decided to blurt out ...

"I guess Randy and Matt will give the Hardys some TLC, eh?", he said with a chuckle. Looking around the room, Dave, John, Amy, and Camilla all had blank looks on their faces. "Tender loving care ... tables, ladders, and chairs ... TLC ... _get it?_"

Amy gave Eric a look and smacked her fiancée hard on the back of his head, eliciting a round of laughter from the rest of the room.

"Now _that's_ funny", interjected Batista.

* * *

Out at ringside, Lilian watched nervously as the World Tag Team Championships were carefully suspended in the air. Tables were being unfolded and placed all around the ring in a line. Several steel chairs were stacked on each table and ladders lined the ramp all the way up to the stage. She had to make her way around the many obstacles just to climb in the ring to make the official announcement.

"The following is the Raw main event and is a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Tag Team Championships!"

The familiar sound of the Hardys' music filled the arena, getting yet another mixed response from the crowd, but with cheers few and far between. Matt came out with a supreme air of confidence, flashing his "V1" hand signs every few seconds. Jeff, however, was more subdued, not doing his usual ... 'dance' ... as he stepped onto the stage. Matt looked behind him and flashed a noticeable grimace at his brother, who almost immediately started to smile and initiated his usual entrance routine.

Looking on from behind the curtain, the Ortons both shook their heads.

"He's got Jeff pinned under his finger like a little bug", Randy said. "Matt tore his little brother's wings off a long time ago."

"I'm impressed", Matt responded, confusing his brother. "You used a simile quite effectively."

"You better shut up before I smash your head against the wall", Randy snapped back, getting his brother to roll his eyes. As the Hardys posed on the turnbuckle, the Ortons' eyes wandered up to the two belts hanging above the ring.

"You know", Randy started. "I have to come clean with you. When Dad suggested that you become my tag team partner during that first dinner together as a family, I was skeptical. Hell, I was downright angry. I didn't want to become a tag team wrestler and be stuck on the middle of the card for the rest of my career. The one thing I wanted was to be a major champion. And look at us now: Lilian actually said we were the main event for Raw."

Randy looked in his brother's eyes and didn't see disappointment like he had anticipated. Matt looked on with a big smile on his face, and Randy continued.

"But ... but after I saw you separate your shoulder, I realized that putting myself first wasn't what I wanted. Everything I did to get into this business was dedicated to you and to leave you out of my career was the worst decision I could have made. At first I wanted to be the biggest superstar this company had ever seen. Now I just want to rock this place by your side for as long as we can."

"Randy, you know I feel the same way. I don't have to give some long speech that you probably sat down and rehearsed to yourself a couple of times."

_"Dammit!"_, Randy thought. _"I thought I kept that hidden from him!"_

"Let's just do what we were born to do."

The brothers quickly discarded the Evolution t-shirts they were wearing and Randy slung his Intercontinental Championship over his shoulder.

"Ready to have another belt for the other shoulder?", asked Matt with a snicker on his face.

"I've been waiting for a moment like this all my life, Matt. Game on."

'Burn in my Light' started to play over the loudspeakers and the brothers could hear Lilian's excited voice announce their entrance onto the stage. In matching gold attire, Randy and Matt posed to their pyro only briefly before starting a serious walk down the ramp. Not waiting for the bell to ring, each Orton grabbed one end of a ladder beside the ramp and rushed the ring, sliding the ladder under the top rope hard enough to make the Hardys trip. Randy immediately went to work on slamming his fists repeatedly into the side of Matt Hardy's face. Jeff made an effort to stop Randy, but was close enough to the ropes for the younger Orton to drag him out to ringside.

Matt immediately shoved Jeff into a table with great force, causing the pile of chairs to scatter every which way. Orton slugged his opponent once across the face before holding Hardy down by his shoulders.

"Why do you let your brother walk all over you?", Matt shouted.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about!"

_"What the hell are you doing?"_, communicated Randy. _"Forget the interrogation until later! We've got a job to ..."_

Randy was interrupted by a stiff right hand from the man he was just beating on. An already bloody Matt Hardy managed to get up and push Randy back against the turnbuckle and retaliated with his own flurry of punches to the face. Randy blocked just one and lifted a boot into Hardy's crotch, sending his attacker wincing to the middle of the ring.

Meanwhile at ringside, Jeff had regained his composure when he reversed Matt's hold and whipped him shoulder-first into the nearby steel steps. Grabbing a steel chair, Jeff reared back for a chair shot once Matt had sat back against the steel steps. Orton saw this however and rolled out of the way, letting Jeff's chair ring out against the steel. Orton spun Hardy around and tore the chair out of his opponent's hands. Jeff sidestepped, anticipating an overhead swing, but Matt instead rammed the blunt end of the chair into Jeff's stomach. Seizing the opportunity, Orton put Hardy in the powerbomb position and raised three fingers.

Randy smiled as Matt slid the chair he used into the ring towards his brother. Randy smacked Matt Hardy once on the top of the head and threw the chair down, eager to watch his brother's little show. The younger Orton took a deep breath and lifted Hardy above his head. Jeff, however, reversed the powerbomb into a hurricanrana, flipping Matt Orton into a nearby stack of chairs.

Stunned, Randy quickly dropped to the canvas and rolled out of the ring grabbing the ladder he and Matt used at the very beginning of the match. The older brother wielded the ladder like a battering ram and drove it into Jeff's lower back. Randy immediately dropped the ladder and went over to attend to Matt.

"Are you alright?!", he asked. "Your head hit the chairs pretty bad!"

"You can't ... just drop everything ... every single time it looks like I'm hurt!", Matt answered back quickly. "I can take care of myself! You just have to focus on ..."

Matt's eyes wandered behind Randy and instantly widened. It only took Randy a second to realize what was happening and spun around to see Matt Hardy launch himself over the top rope towards them both. The Ortons held up their hands up to deflect the flying Hardy, only to be crushed under the weight. Randy had the wind knocked out of him, and Matt was momentarily knocked out. Jeff stood up and looked down at the fallen Ortons, then up at his brother's menancing eyes.

"Get ... a ... **ladder**."

Jeff sighed heavily, thinking that the match would be over soon. He grabbed the very ladder that was used to attack him and started to slide it in the ring.

"No, you idiot!", Matt Hardy yelled. "Out here! Set the ladder up out here!"

"For what?", Jeff answered back meekly.

"Stop questioning me!", Hardy snapped back. "These people came to see a show and you're going to give them one!" Matt Hardy grabbed a nearby chair and smacked both Ortons once in the head to keep them down, then dragged one of the nearby tables in line with the top of the ladder. Both Randy and Matt were set adjacent to each other on the table, and Jeff started to climb the ladder. As time progressed, the volume of the crowd steadily increased, knowing that a Swanton Bomb was incoming. Michael, Adrian, and Travis in the front row screamed at the top of their lungs, trying to reach the brothers. Randy was still conscious and tried to communicate with his brother.

_"You okay? Can you hear me?"_

_"I'm fine ... I think. Did we win?"_

Randy actually chuckled. _"A little beat up, but you'll be fine. Listen, we're on a table and Jeff's fixing to jump down. We have to move!"_

_"You're gonna have to push me off ... I'm still a little woozy."_

_"Suck it up and get ready. He's about to jump."_

Indeed, the camera flashes erupted all at once as Jeff leapt in the air, aiming for the table with a Swanton Bomb. Randy and Matt eyed him coming down and moved out of the way at the very last second, sending Jeff through the wood with a sickening crash. Matt Hardy stared at his brother's motionless body only for a second before raising the chair he had in his hands, ready to strike. Hardy took a swing at Randy, but whiffed; Randy managed to dodge and step behind him. When Matt Hardy turned around, he walked right into a sudden RKO, which got a round of heavily enthusiastic applause from the fans nearby. Matt Orton, meanwhile, was dragging the remnants of the broken table to the side, only to replace it with another one.

_"Are you about to do what I think you're going to do?"_

_"You don't even have to ask, you moron..."_

Randy rolled his eyes and readjusted the position of the ladder while Matt lifted the bodies of both Hardys onto the newly set up table. The crowd repeated their actions earlier; this time getting louder almost immediately at the thought of retaliation from the Ortons. After both opponents were on the table and Matt was positioned on top of the ladder, Randy held both Hardys down to make sure they couldn't slide off at the last minute.

_"I hope you know what you're doing."_

_"Don't worry about me. When I'm done, get another ladder and climb up there to get the belts!"_

_"I'm not going up there without you!"_

_"What the hell?! That'll take up too much time! We're wasting time just sitting here arguing! Just do what I say!"_

_"You stubborn son of a bitch! I'm going to wait for you!"_

Most of the people in the arena were a little confused by now; both Randy and Matt had been staring at each other for a couple of moments, making the situation a little awkward. Matt finally rolled his eyes and focused back on the Hardys down and out in front of him. Taking a deep breath and saying a little prayer, Matt stood straight up and flipped through the air, launching himself with his Somersault Leg Drop. The camera flashes roared again as Matt flew and landed smack on his target, crushing the two Hardys through the table with a loud _crack_. Randy cringed, not at seeing the bodies of the Hardys nearly bend in half, but seeing the hard landing of his brother from the table to the floor.

_"I'm fine!"_, Matt communicated, albeit with pain shooting down his whole lower body. _"Get the damn ladder!"_

Randy ignored his brother's instructions and hurried over to the fallen mass of flesh and broken wood. Extending a hand to his brother, Matt reluctantly accepted Randy's gesture.

"You know, you're just as stubborn as I am, dammit."

"Shut the hell up and get in the ring. We have to grab those belts before they get moving again."

Both brothers picked up the ladder and slid it in the ring. Randy climbed in easily, while Matt slowly shuffled towards the steel steps holding his lower back. Something was holding him back, however; Matt just assumed it was part of the broken table hooked on his boot. Looking back, however, Matt was shocked to see around his ankle one hand from each of the Hardys. Randy sensed his brother's distress and immediately hopped back out, grabbing a nearby chair. The older Orton took aim with the chair, but was shocked out of his boots when he saw both Hardys roll out from their position.

_"How the hell are they moving? ..."_, Randy thought to himself, rooted to the spot.

_"Quit musing on that and get moving yourself!"_

His brother's thought superseded his own and Randy looked back up to see the two Matt's going at it at the base of the ramp. Looking now directly in front of him, Randy sidestepped an incoming charge from Jeff Hardy and shoved him into the steel post on one of the corners of the ring. Meanwhile, Matt Hardy had the upper hand, if only for the moment, and threw Matt Orton over the divider and into the crowd. Looking up to the ladder set up perfectly, Matt Hardy made a mad dash for the ring and quickly started to scamp up the ladder. Hardy got up halfway before Randy climbed into the ring himself and got a hand on Hardy's foot. Matt started to kick wildly, trying to disengage Randy's grip, but smiled as he saw his little brother with a steel chair behind Orton. Lilian shrieked as Jeff brought the chair down directly on Randy's head.

Jeff let out a half-hearted smile as his brother continued climbing up the ladder. All this would be over soon. The rainbow-haired warrior was a bit surprised as the crowd started to cheer, but didn't have time to think as he was shoved into the ladder himself, knocking it over just as Matt Hardy was about to unhook one of the belts. Matt Orton had climbed back over the crowd divider and maneuvered back behind Jeff for a stealthy save. Matt Hardy's eyes widened as the floor quickly approached and braced for impact.

It was only for a moment that Randy and Matthew Orton had sympathy for Matt Hardy. The older Hardy brother was catapulted over the top rope and landed chest first across the crowd barrier. A loud crack was heard, and two referees immediately ran over to attend to the fallen Hardy. As the Orton brothers quickly set up the ladder again, Jeff stood transfixed on the situation evolving at ringside. Randy and Matt were halfway up the ladder as a stretcher came down the ramp. Jeff saw his older brother being loaded onto it and didn't move a muscle; Jeff's unusual reaction even caught attention of Randy and Matt, who were now at the top of the ladder together.

_"What do you think is going through his mind?"_

_"That he's free? That the man that caused him all that pain during his life will be out of commission for ... for god knows how long?"_

_"Let's think about this later. We're about to become ..."_

What they didn't anticipate is Jeff turning around. He looked up at the Ortons, making them both freeze.

_"You realize that he could just push the ladder over, right?"_

Randy and Matt looked down one more time, only to see Jeff smile. With a nod, Jeff Hardy gave a little wave and hopped out of the ring.

_"I think we just did him a favor. Now let's do ourselves a favor."_

Each brother put a hand on one belt. In an instant, the events of the last eighteen years flashed in their memories: the fateful day at camp, the chance encounter in San Antonio, Matt's debut match, their first match together as a tag team, their first match against each other, Matt's wedding and Randy's engagement, the grim attack from Batista, getting revenge on the man who caused all this in the first place ... and now finally ...

**"Here are your winners and the _new_ World Tag Team Champions ..."**, Lilian belted out, nearly crying at ringside seeing her fiancée and future brother-in-law triumphant, **"... Randy and Matthew Orton!"**

Backstage, John and Eric let out shouts of affirmation while Camilla and Amy gave each other a screaming hug. Batista had the biggest grin on his face that he could remember as he applauded an Orton victory. Lilian climbed into the ring herself to congratulate Raw's two newest champions.

"I knew you two were going to do it! I just knew!"

"Well ... remember what you said about our destiny that day we were walking down the Riverwalk in San Antonio?", Randy said after kissing Lilian. "This destiny", he said holding his half of the World Tag Team Championship high in the air, "is for me and my brother."

Matt smiled and the two departed to one of the corners of the ring. Matt stood on the bottom rope while Randy stood on the middle one, and both Orton posed proudly with their newly won belts to close out the biggest party of the summer.

* * *

After a quick trip to the trainer and the locker room to clean up, everyone was headed back to the hotel. The group didn't make a big deal of it, but the members of the family were proud owners of every single championship on Monday Night Raw. A couple hours after a quick bite to eat at a local restaurant, the family was back at their hotel. John and Dave were sharing a room together, Amy and Eric were doing ... _something _... and something _very loud_ ... in their room. Matt and Camilla were surprisingly quiet. Randy supposed they were already asleep.

"Listen, baby", Lilian said to her fiancée after coming out of the shower, "those three friends of Matt's told me to give you this. They happened to bring a Polaroid camera and managed to snap this. I thought you might like it."

Randy took the picture from Lilian and realized it was one of when he and Matt were posing on the turnbuckle after the match. Randy chuckled, reached over to his wallet, and pulled out the picture he showed to Matt that first day in San Antonio.

_"Seventeen years later ... and now we're back where we're supposed to be."_

Randy pocketed the picture in his wallet along with the original and climbed into bed with Lilian.

"You better get to bed. You and Matt have to get ready to defend those belts soon."

"I don't care what Austin throws at us. We'll be ready."

* * *

_Well ... that's it. About a year and four months later, I'm done. Don't worry ... I've got new ideas for a sequel, and I've already set some into motion. I've enjoyed writing this whole thing and I've put everything I have into it. Don't forget to let me know how I did! Tell me what you loved! Tell me what you hated! _

_I hope you enjoyed this 80 chapters of madness!_

_SuspiciousInitials_


End file.
